EDITOR’S COMMENT Every time I sit down to read through the results of any of the surveys EG puts out to understand more about how inclusive real estate may or may not be I brace myself for the worst.
As someone who is able to sit in a position of privilege, with only my gender being a potential barrier to being included, the experiences I read in these surveys always move me. There are, without exception, dozens of stories of behaviours that make you wonder when so many of us stopped being decent human beings. Tales of extreme exclusion, of horrific homophobia and the types of behaviour that make you question the intellect of so many individuals in this sector. It makes me feel ashamed to be a part of this industry.
This is a sector that has such a unique opportunity to deliver change and make the world a more habitable place, and upon reading these surveys I wonder why we are not universally seizing those opportunities.
This year’s LGBTQ+ survey served up a new set of those experiences. Thank you to those brave enough to retell and share those stories of being overtly discriminated against to such a level that it forced you to consider leaving the sector, of just having to develop a tough skin and get on with it, otherwise you won’t make it in the business, of being overlooked, of being part of the “banter”. These tales should have no place in today’s society.
However, while these stories persist, the survey also revealed that real estate was making moves in the right direction. Last year’s survey told a tale of lost momentum. This year – while there is still a very, very long way to go – the industry is taking a step forward again.
A greater percentage of respondents were happily out at work and to clients, and were so because there were more visible role models in the sector. Eight out of 10 respondents said that real estate was a safe place for LGBTQ+ individuals, although worryingly this year’s survey showed that the number-one reason people didn’t feel comfortable being out at work or to clients had shifted from that lack of visible role models to the reaction of their colleagues or clients.
Worrying how others will treat you just because of who you are doesn’t feel like an overly safe place to me. We must all work harder at ensuring that this kind of negative behaviour is just not tolerated in this sector. Surely, we can all agree to that as a KPO.
And if you don’t know where to start in stamping out negative attitudes and actions, this year’s survey also highlights an encouragingly long list of real estate firms from across the built environment that are doing something right.
For the first time in the survey’s three-year history, we asked respondents if there were any exemplars in the sector. Just 9% said no. Some 41% said yes and shared more than two dozen firms they believed were leading by example.
The list includes big and small names from the consultancy, legal, construction and development worlds, but has some notable absences.
I’m not going to dwell on the absences here, though – I’ll let those companies do that themselves. What I am going to do is celebrate the 27 firms that are doing inclusion well and call on them to share their learnings and the best practice that they have put in place with the rest of this industry.
I know that there is a war for talent at the moment, and that being an inclusive and thoughtful employer is a great weapon to have in that battle, but this is bigger than competitive advantage. This is where the industry can and should lead by example. This is where the industry makes the world a more habitable place.
If I promise to celebrate the exemplars, will you promise to work together to turn that 27 into absolutely everyone?
To send feedback, e-mail samantha.mcclary@eg.co.uk or tweet @samanthamcclary or @EGPropertyNews
