“Women and Girls Rule my World”
Left to Right: Lucy Cullen, Esther Broomhall
Yes, they are a play on the lyrics of a Prince song but as it is International Women’s Day, we thought they were most appropriate. Being a female-led business in our second year, we thought it was important to mark the occasion, reflect on our journey and also offer advice to other girls and women thinking of a career in property.
I (Esther) had a vision to create an agency which was able to incorporate basics executed with ease and professionalism for the luxury market, where we focus on the smaller details to ensure a personal difference to the buying and selling experience. The result is EB&P which we launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, and I am proud to say is going from strength-to-strength.
I have 15 years of estate agency experience predominantly focusing on new homes and high-end sales. I had worked with Lucy, my friend and colleague previously, who has five years’ experience, and we knew we worked well together.
We both went to the same senior school but after university started our careers slightly different. Lucy got offered work experience and from her placement secured a permanent job. I started my career with an independent agency in Knowle and was lucky enough to work with some of the most respected individuals local to Warwickshire property sales.
Estate Agency can be seen as a male dominated industry – to this day it can still feel like that – especially when you go to certain events and walk into a room full of men, but we aren’t intimidated. I started my career in a New Homes Estate Agency office which was female-led and had a majority female team. I saw women succeed from the early stages of my career. At the end of the day, in the environment I was in, it didn’t matter whether you were male or female, if you worked hard and wanted to succeed – you were rewarded. I moved up the ladder to successfully manage different departments before going in my own direction.
To want to do it is half the battle, and sometimes you feel you have to prove yourself more than you should, so perseverance and determination are qualities we admire. We are now living in a world where female leaders are accepted and in some areas of business – actively encouraged. However, we still have some way to go. Among the UK’s top 100 listed companies, 31 women hold executive roles in 27 companies. Eight are chief executives, and 15 chief financial officers or finance directors1.
As estate agents we don’t just sell houses – we get involved with people’s lives, so you need a certain skillset to do this while remaining professional. Perhaps women have more understanding in certain situations, but we have to deal with relationships starting, relationships ending, death, divorce, the impact of having children on daily lives, and family dynamics changing so we need to be empathetic and considerate and as females I sometimes wonder if we have more of an understanding and compassion for what people are going through.
The female has often been seen as head of the daily household – perhaps a stereotypical view – but one which is still pandered to by many. As much as the male has taken on this role in many circumstances – we are seeing generations of families where the stereotypical gender roles are played out by both mum and dad – but in short, as the song says, is the female of the species the deadliest of them all?! We have climbed our way to positions of power, albeit deserved positions, and overcome stereotypical view points from many, (and some which we sadly won’t overcome) – but I like to think that Lucy and I have succeeded as women, whilst empowering those around us, including one another. Wanting the best for those in your team and knowing your strengths and weaknesses and theirs, makes for a pretty powerful team.
For anyone looking for a career as an estate agent we recommend:
Researching local estate agents near where you live and trying to get a placement or a job
Do your research on the business and the local area within their catchment
Be creative in the way you approach these estate agents
Speak to friends and family to see if you have any connections or what are the good and bad experiences’ they have had selling and buying homes
Use LinkedIn to find the right people and connect
Persevere, listen and be professional and you will get your opportunity