Commercial real estate companies have made strides toward gender parity and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in the last five years, though progress remains inconsistent. The 2025 CREW Network Benchmark Study, which has tracked women’s progress in the commercial real estate industry for two decades, paints a picture of slow advancement alongside persistent hurdles. While some metrics show improvement, others suggest the sector has a long way to go before achieving true equity.
“While we’ve made strides in some of these areas, our benchmark study reveals that the pay gap and gender discrimination are real and persistent issues that remain barriers to women’s advancement in the industry,” says Alison Beddard, CREW Network CEO.
Representation Stalls Despite Industry Efforts
Women’s representation in the industry remains stagnant. Women account for about 38% of the field, a number that has barely budged over the last 20 years. Since the study was last conducted in 2020, representation has increased by just 1%.
The lack of movement is particularly evident in upper management. Improving representation in corporate leadership and at the C-suite level, where women represent a paltry 9%, is seen as essential for broader change. Beddard suggests that to truly increase female representation, the industry needs to offer a safe, inclusive culture through unbiased hiring, equitable pay, and transparent advancement.
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To close the gap, Beddard recommends companies focus on intentional, consistent hiring practices alongside training and education initiatives at colleges and universities. The current data suggests that entry-level recruitment is not the primary issue, but rather the retention and promotion of women once they are inside the organization.
Pay Disparity Narrows But Commission Roles Lag
Financial parity shows more promise. Companies have made successful strides toward closing the gender pay gap. The fixed salary gap is now only 4% between men and women, down from 10% in 2020. Regarding overall compensation, the gap has narrowed significantly, dropping from 34% to 13%.
However, men still outearn women overall. Non-salary compensation is driving the difference. Beddard notes that many women avoid taking commission-based positions, viewing them as higher risk, yet these roles often receive more sponsorship. Only 32% of women consider commission positions versus 45% of men.
“Commission-based work is one of the most equalizing compensation structures available in commercial real estate,” says Beddard. “It has shown over and over how well women excel in brokerage and business development. So that tells me that women in the right environment truly thrive.”
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This stagnation in leadership numbers suggests that simply hiring more women is not enough. If women are entering the field at a steady rate but not reaching the executive level, the issue likely lies in retention or internal promotion pathways that favor existing power structures. Addressing the pipeline alone won’t fix the bottleneck at the top if the criteria for advancement remain biased or inaccessible.
Reports of Discrimination Reach New Highs
For the first time since the study launched in 2005, women are reporting rising instances of gender discrimination. The study found that discrimination is now the greatest obstacle to women’s advancement. Data shows 6% of women experience sexual harassment in the workplace, and 32% experience sexist behavior.
“Companies need to be honest about the unconscious bias and discrimination in hiring, promoting, and assigning of challenging projects, inclusion, and high-profile client relationship development,” says Beddard. She adds that many organizations may need to hire a third-party consultant to truly address gender bias in the workplace.
While companies have successfully addressed other barriers, like lack of mentorship, discrimination may be a more difficult challenge to overcome. But Beddard argues the effort is necessary. “Companies that cultivate and prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion with their people and their teams are outperforming others, including greater earnings, better governance, greater innovation and more opportunity. Those are the facts.”
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