"The message is simple: if you want to lead today, it does not matter whether you are a man or a woman, it matters what kind of leader you are," say Karen Marsh, Tina Khanna and Clare Yates.
12th Jan 20261 682 3 minutes read Karen Marsh, Tina Khanna and Clare Yates
There is no longer a debate about whether women can lead across conveyancing and estate agency.
That question has been answered through action, visibility and results. The more meaningful conversation now centres on how leadership is defined, how balance is supported, and whether the industry is genuinely structured to allow women not just to reach senior roles, but to thrive within them.
For many women who have spent decades in property, the most profound shift has been cultural rather than procedural.
Role modelsWomen now see role models everywhere. Leadership feels attainable in a way it simply did not a generation ago, when seeing a woman at the top of an organisation was the exception rather than the norm.
Today, women influence hiring decisions, shape culture and set strategic direction across both estate agency and conveyancing.
In that sense, the trail has already been walked. Women no longer need to prove that leadership is possible – only whether it aligns with the life they want to lead.
Outdated assumptionsPerhaps the most important evolution is the growing acceptance that leadership is about the person, not the gender. Capability, character and values matter far more than outdated assumptions about who “fits” a leadership role.
Popular culture has reinforced this shift by normalising female authority and entrepreneurship. The message is simple: if you want to lead today, it does not matter whether you are a man or a woman, it matters what kind of leader you are.
That shift is also reflected on the ground. Across estate agency in particular, flexible and hybrid working has become a genuine enabler. Accelerated by the pandemic but sustained by demand, it has allowed many women to balance career ambition with family life in an industry that was once rigid and unforgiving.
FrontlineFemale leadership is strongest in roles closest to people – clients, teams and process. In estate agency, women have long excelled in sales progression, branch management and compliance, where organisation, communication and emotional intelligence drive performance.
Women in conveyancing are having a similar impact. Client-facing delivery, training and internal development roles increasingly rely on empathy, clarity and strategic thinking – qualities that build trust with clients while embedding consistency and learning within teams.
As conveyancing becomes more complex, these leadership styles are proving critical in maintaining service quality under pressure.
Senior positionsMore women are also stepping into senior strategic positions, helping to redesign how services are delivered and priced.
This reflects a growing recognition of the tension between client expectations and the economic reality of managing high caseloads, particularly within conveyancing, where fees have reduced while regulatory and service demands have increased.
Biggest barriersDespite progress, the biggest barriers holding women back are rarely about skill. They are about confidence, visibility and how leadership is framed.
Leadership is still too often associated with big personalities, relentless availability and uncomfortable self-promotion. Many capable women hesitate to put themselves forward, not through lack of ambition, but because the model presented does not reflect who they are.
Yet when women do step into leadership, the impact is clear: teams perform better, communication improves and clients feel the difference. The solution lies not in fixing women, but in redefining leadership around clarity, accountability and trust.
Flexible workingBalance remains the most emotionally complex challenge. Office for National Statistics data shows women still shoulder the majority of care-giving responsibilities, and many view that positively. The issue is friction.
Flexible or part-time working can still feel like compromise when service expectations remain unchanged.
Women often describe the constant tension of giving everything at work while feeling they are falling short at home, or vice versa. This invisible emotional labour frequently results in women working harder without recognising it, particularly in high-pressure conveyancing roles where responsiveness is often mistaken for effectiveness.
Client expectationsClient expectations add further complexity. Some still expect immediate access and instant responses, while conveyancers are also required to complete detailed legal work that demands uninterrupted focus.
Other professional services have reset expectations through appointments, timeframes and triage.
Property may need to follow suit – not to dilute service, but to protect quality and wellbeing. Sustainable leadership requires boundaries that allow professionals to do their best work, not simply the most visible work.
Culture, more than policy, determines whether women progress and stay. Where businesses prioritise trust, transparency and development, women’s leadership styles – collaborative, empathetic and structured – thrive. Profit follows people, not the other way around.
Shared visionA truly balanced property sector is not one where women simply occupy more senior roles. It is one where leadership reflects real lives, flexibility is standard, training is proactive and culture supports longevity.
Balanced leadership does not happen by chance. It happens when businesses put people before profit and create environments where women step up, stay and lead. That is not just good for women – it is essential for the future of the industry.
Karen Marsh is Sales and Marketing Director at RG Law; Tina Khanna is Conveyancing Director at RG Law and Clare Yates is a Consultant at CY Training Works
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Tagswiea group Women In Estate Agency Group 12th Jan 20261 682 3 minutes read Karen Marsh, Tina Khanna and Clare Yates Share Facebook X LinkedIn Share via Email