What is it REALLY like to be a female estate agent?

She holds an MBA, is former president of the National Association of Estate Agents and is the current chair of the Norwich and District Association of Estate Agents (NDAEA). She also sits on several industry boards and is a speaker and presenter at conferences and events across the industry. And, like many in the industry, Jan says she “evolved” into estate agency.

She first started her career in financial services before moving into agency and, day-to-day, says she is constantly inspired by the “mighty” women in her life and those, of any gender, who support them.

She says that the late philosopher, scholar and author Maya Angelou has also been a great source of inspiration. “My favourite quote of hers is ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel’” she says - and it’s something she tries to encourage other people in the sector to remember, particularly early on in their careers.

“When you’re building your career as a property agent,” she says, “remember that in our profession the only thing you have to sell is the only thing that people buy – YOU. Only you can inspire trust, confidence and belief, and you can only do that by the way you take care of people.”

Jan admits that she is “not one for stereotypes”, but believes that, generally speaking, women bring an important level of empathy and understanding to estate agency. “When buying and selling property, people are living for that period of time at an emotional level outside of their ‘normal zone’, and sometimes their behaviours and reactions can be more heightened and challenging,” she says. “Women are great at anticipating this and diffusing difficult situations.”

Jan is married with twin daughters and a keen musician in a brass quintet. She believes that while the balancing act of aligning your career with your home life, family and hobbies is challenging, it’s “the same in any job – and for any gender!”

“I do struggle with the myth that somehow estate agency is a sector full of career-frustrated women who long to be business owners or board directors, but whose careers have somehow been held back for reasons beyond their control,” she says. “Most women estate agents I know are working at a level well-suited to their aspirations, abilities and lifestyle commitments and if they are ambitious to go for top level senior positions, or to own their own estate agency, they have gone for it.”

Within the sector, Jan says she’s seen little evidence of a pay gap. Income, she says, is dependent on your abilities and your success. “Commission on sales, be it team commission or individual, is not gender related or influenced in my experience, and neither are basic salaries,” she says. And when it comes to employees’ health and welfare, Jan has seen significant progress in recent years – including for issues that typically affect women.

Significant progress has been made for employees' welfare in recent years, including for mental health, IVF treatments and menopause policies (Image: Getty Images)

“Progressive employers like Arnolds Keys now pay great heed to providing resources to support those with mental wellbeing and stress management issues,” she says. “Menopause policies are becoming more common within the HR toolkit of many firms, and the law has changed to embrace such rights as time off for IVF appointments, paternity leave (which benefits the partners of new mums), and flexible working requests.”

Natalie Howlett-Clarke, joint head of residential sales at Savills in Norfolk, says she was “probably always destined” to work in the sector. “My school work experience was at a local estate agents and I secured a summer job there every year from the age of 14 – yes, I do remember estate agency before computers!

"I read history at university but having obtained my degree and reflected on what my next step should be, I realised how much I had enjoyed the buzz and activity of agency. I wrote to the Head of Savills Norwich, secured an interview with Louis de Soissons and started on March 11, 2005.”

Since then, Natalie has risen the ranks, becoming joint head of the residential department in Norwich. “As with many industries, traditionally the senior positions have been held by men and, particularly after the Suzy Lamplugh case [a British estate agent who went missing after an appointment in London in 1986, and has since been presumed dead] there was a long-held perception that estate agency work carried a high degree of risk for women and therefore tended to be more office-based.”

But technology, she says, has improved to such an extent that all agents, male or female, now have measures in place to minimise risk, and Natalie hopes this will encourage more into top jobs within the sector. “Looking ahead, I think better female representation in senior positions will undoubtedly help girls and women to consider this a rewarding career.

“I feel I’ve been part of a generation of women across all divisions at Savills that have really pushed the boundaries regarding their careers and hopefully have shown our younger cohorts that hard work will pay off. One such woman is my colleague in our development team, Victoria Hackett. Vicki is a highly respected valuer and has just become head of business development for the eastern region, all whilst bringing up her two young children.”

Growing up in the 1980s, Natalie says having a female prime minister made her think that “anything was possible for women” and she was also inspired by her mother who took a different path. “My mother willingly forewent her career to take on the mantle of raising our family and supporting my father’s career,” she says. “Since having a family of my own, I have even greater respect for her making that decision whilst raising my
sister and I to believe we can pursue our careers on an equal footing.”

For Natalie, taking time out to grow her own family was a significant decision, particularly after working “flat out” for 13 years. In fact, she says, her biggest career challenge so far has been returning to work after her maternity leave. “I have an incredibly supportive husband and work in a supportive environment,” she says, “but nonetheless, returning to work and juggling my work life with my family life – including organising childcare – added a different dynamic. Three years hence and this has become by new ‘normal’ but the first 12 months after returning to work were certainly a transition.”

Returning to work after maternity leave can be a challenge for many new mothers (Image: Getty Images)

For those just starting out in the industry, Natalie recommends gaining experience in all areas to help establish where you feel you will be best-suited, long-term – and, if you can, to find a mentor. “I was very fortunate to have a great mentor over the years, so I would also recommend trying to establish that type of relationship with an experienced member of the team who can advise you on progressing your career.

“Most importantly of all, make sure you love your work because this enthusiasm will convey itself to clients.”

Samantha Withers, director of Coast and Country Estate Agents, based in north Norfolk, says she always loved the idea of being an estate agent. “I suppose when I was younger, from the outside, it felt like quite a glamorous industry,” she says. “I soon realised it’s far from that... of course I have the opportunity to sell some absolutely beautiful homes, but it’s also a very stressful industry with a lot of responsibility.”

She says she worked at a jewellery store before she started in agency and “has always” loved selling. “I was fortunate enough to be given a shot at selling homes in what, at the time, was a new up and coming agency in the centre of Norwich,” she says.

Like Natalie, Samantha says that one of her biggest challenges was finding the right time to start a family. “I set up Coast and Country Estate Agents when my son was 10 weeks old and it’s certainly been hard work finding the right balance,” she says.

“Becoming a mum was the catalyst for setting up my own agency – at the time I thought I could have a better work-life balance working for myself than if I was an agent working for another company. The job is challenging and long hours and I am still trying to find the right balance.”

Samantha Withers, founder and director of Coast and Country Estate Agents, which she set up when her son was just ten weeks old (Image: Samantha Withers)

Perhaps this is why a study by Belvoir, last year, revealed that only 13pc of estate agencies were owned by women – although Samantha says that, in her experience, it’s not just in the top jobs that men dominate. “It’s also within general roles within the industry,” she says, “like property valuer and sales negotiator positions.

“I have been the only female in an office of men many times during my career and it can be daunting. It is tough entering into a male-dominated working environment and you have to push your way to more senior positions – but it shouldn’t be this hard.”

Despite this, Samantha, who has an all-female team, says it is getting easier. “I think things are getting easier for women in the industry,” she says. “There are some great agents out there that are now employing more women after realising what we can bring to industry.”

And, like Jan, Samantha believes that women can bring a different approach to customer service. “Women are very good at adapting to the client and relating to their circumstances and needs,” she says, and can also offer a “softer approach” to sales.

Ultimately, though, she believes that women in the sector need to stand their ground, give as good as they get and enjoy the job. “If you think you can do something better, prove to them that you can.”

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