In its third annual survey released today, the Observatory of the Charter for Parity in the Real Estate Sector, a French non-profit organization concluded that despite growing awareness of the lack of gender parity among companies, progress in the real estate sector remains slow, particularly in terms of access to management positions and equal pay.
Officially launched in 2022, the Observatoire de la Charte de la Parité dans l'Immobilier unveiled the findings of its survey, based on data collected from its 133 signatory companies in conjunction with the Institut de l'Epargne Immobilière et Foncière (IEIF) and sociologist Chantal Schmitt.
Access to equal pay and management positions are "stagnating" because "parity is still perceived as a distant goal rather than an urgent one," observes Chantal Schmitt. "To break the glass ceiling, we need a strong commitment to concrete action on the part of company management," she emphasizes.
While women account for 51% of the overall workforce in the real estate sector - a figure slightly higher than the national average - there are significant disparities between professions. In 2023, the proportion of women in management bodies even fell to 37.7%.
As for inequalities, "the data show a mixed picture, with progress in certain areas and persistent stumbling blocks, particularly in terms of pay," notes Lina Mounir, senior analyst for IEIF. According to the Observatoire de la Charte de la Parité dans l'Immobilier, initiated by six members of the Cercle des femmes de l'immobilier, women account on average for only 3.34 of the 10 highest salaries in the companies in the panel. This marks a decline from the previous year, while 56.6% of companies granted higher fixed salary increases to men than to women.
Acceleration is, therefore, mandatory. "It's a necessity, both for the performance and the attractiveness of our companies," asserts Christel Zordan, CEO of Société de la Tour Eiffel and President of the Observatory, which proposes seven "priority" areas for improvement.
The Observatory's priorities
- Promote parity right from the recruitment stage by working with women's networks and adapting complementary processes
- Close pay gaps through regular salary audits and catch-up policies
- Support women in their careers through mentoring and coaching programs
- Promote the visibility of women at professional events
- Train managers in unconscious bias to create an inclusive culture
- Encourage internal and external networking among female employees to strengthen their influence
- Redefine the criteria for high-performance leadership