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Saskatoon real estate agency looks to recruit more female realtors

"It can take time for women to break into those Old Boys clubs," Barry Stuart of ICR Commercial Real Estate says
female realtor

 

Barry Stuart is looking for more women to become licensed commercial real estate agents in Saskatchewan.

The managing partner and senior sales associate of ICR Commercial Real Estate in Saskatoon took a quick look at the 60 people who work full time as licensed agents in the city’s industry and found just 13 per cent of them are women.

He compared that with the National Association of Realtors study in the U.S. last year that found 63 per cent of its members are female. (Granted, this includes a large percentage of female residential agents, but the Saskatoon number is still low.)

“We could definitely benefit from more females to bring a wider perspective,” he said.

Deloitte’s recent Diversity & Inclusion in Canada report noted that companies with more gender diversity experience less employee turnover, a higher level of employee engagement and improved economic performance. 

Steps are being taken.

ICR will host its first women’s charity golf tournament this summer, an event designed to increase networking opportunities for women, Stuart said.

These kinds of events have been happening for men for, well, decades, but he noted that every important journey begins with the first step.

“These Old Boy networking clubs still exist. [The world] is evolving and changing but it can take time for women to break into those Old Boys clubs,” Stuart said.