Opening the Door Wider

Creating More Pathways for Women in Real Estate Leadership

For an industry that includes so many successful women, Canadian real estate still has an interesting leadership gap. Attend almost any conference, networking event, awards gala, or brokerage meeting and you'll see women everywhere. They are building businesses, leading teams, mentoring new REALTORS®, and driving transactions in communities across the country.

Yet when the conversation shifts to brokerage ownership, executive leadership, governance, and industry influence, the representation changes. This isn't a criticism of the industry. In many ways, Canadian real estate has provided opportunities for women that were harder to find elsewhere. Instead, it's an observation and an invitation to have a broader conversation about leadership, opportunity, and what comes next.

After spending more than two decades working alongside brokerages, associations, franchisors, and real estate professionals across Canada, I've had the opportunity to meet remarkable leaders from every corner of the industry. What stands out isn't a lack of talent. Quite the opposite. The talent is there.The question is how we continue creating pathways for more women to move from successful practitioners into influential leadership positions.

Looking Beyond the Sales Floor

The real estate industry has traditionally celebrated production. Top agents, top teams, top volumes, and top performers often become the faces of our profession. Those achievements deserve recognition. But leadership is something different. Leadership is building organizations that outlast us. It's creating culture, mentoring future professionals, navigating change, and making decisions that shape the direction of businesses and the industry itself. Fortunately, there are many women already doing exactly that.

Leading from the Brokerage Level

Across Canada, women are proving every day that brokerage leadership comes in many forms.

JoAnn Landry of Royal LePage Burloak is a co-owner of a successful family run brokerage, and has s become known for fostering both business growth and community impact, showing that successful leadership extends beyond transactions and into culture and service.

Meg Lyttle of Nest Realty has built a brokerage that reflects the power of entrepreneurship, innovation, and brand vision. Her journey demonstrates that leadership can be created and grown.

Tania Artenosi of Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Centre has contributed not only as a brokerage leader but also through her service to organized real estate, including her role as President of the Ontario Real Estate Association. Her career highlights the importance of having experienced industry voices at decision-making tables.

Each of these leaders has followed a different path, but they share a common thread: they have chosen to take on the responsibility of shaping organizations, not just participating in them.

Leadership Beyond Brokerage Ownership

Leadership also extends far beyond the broker-owner role. Some of the most influential women in Canadian real estate are helping shape the industry through corporate leadership, education, coaching, and professional development.

Kathleen Black, founder of Kathleen Black Coaching & Consulting, has built one of the industry's most recognized coaching and consulting organizations. Through education, strategic planning, and business development, she has helped countless agents and teams scale their businesses while contributing valuable leadership perspectives to the broader industry conversation. She has also taken on the international stage, bringing her keynote speeches to real estate events around the world.

Shawna Gilbert of RE/MAX Canada represents another important form of leadership. By helping support agents, brokerages, and network growth at a global level, leaders like Shawna play a significant role in shaping how major brands evolve and serve their communities. Shawn's background and knowledge of the industry is extensive.

Caroline Baile of Royal LePage Corporate has spent years supporting growth, recruitment, and business development across one of Canada's largest real estate networks. Her work demonstrates the impact leaders can have when they influence not just one office, but an entire system.

These women may not all hold the title of broker-owner, but their influence reaches thousands of professionals across the country and around the world.

The Leaders Who Help Us Grow

As I reflected on this topic, I couldn't help but think about my own journey through the industry. Over the years, I've had the privilege of serving in roles with the Ontario Real Estate Association, Royal LePage Canada, and later as Senior Director of Marketing, Public Relations and Communications at Coldwell Banker Canada. Each experience offered a different perspective on leadership and the responsibility that comes with helping shape an industry that impacts millions of Canadians.

Along the way, I was fortunate to work with leaders who challenged me to grow beyond what I thought was possible.

Andy Puthon

One of those leaders was Andy Puthon. During my time at Coldwell Banker Canada, Andy consistently encouraged me to take on new challenges, expand my thinking, and develop as a leader. What stood out most was that he never viewed my potential through the lens of gender. He recognized my experience, work ethic, and capabilities, and invested in my growth accordingly.

That experience reinforced an important lesson for me. The conversation about women in leadership isn't about creating different standards or opportunities. It's about ensuring that talent is recognized, developed, and supported wherever it exists. Looking back, many of the opportunities that shaped my career came because someone was willing to open a door, offer guidance, or challenge me to take the next step. That is one of the reasons I believe so strongly in creating visible pathways for future leaders.

When we help talented people grow, the entire industry benefits.

The Opportunity in Front of Us

The encouraging reality is that women are already leading. They are leading offices, teams, brands, coaching organizations, industry committees, and national initiatives.

What remains is ensuring that leadership opportunities are visible, accessible, and intentionally developed.

For many professionals, the pathway from agent to leader isn't always obvious. Unlike other industries, there is rarely a clearly defined corporate ladder. Leadership often emerges through mentorship, ownership opportunities, volunteer involvement, and a willingness to take on challenges outside of one's comfort zone. That makes it even more important for today's leaders to help identify and support tomorrow's. Because representation matters, not simply because it looks good, but because it expands what others believe is possible.

When emerging professionals see people who have successfully navigated the journey before them, leadership becomes less abstract and more attainable.

Progress Worth Celebrating

It's important to recognize that meaningful progress has already been made. Over the past several years, we have seen women take on some of the most influential leadership roles in organized real estate. Women have served as presidents of local boards, provincial associations, and national organizations, helping guide the industry through periods of significant change and uncertainty.

That progress matters.

It demonstrates that leadership opportunities are expanding and that the industry is increasingly recognizing talent, expertise, and vision regardless of gender. At the same time, progress is not the same as completion. While there are more women at leadership tables today than there were a decade ago, there remains an opportunity to continue strengthening the pipeline that helps emerging leaders move into brokerage ownership, executive leadership, governance, and strategic decision-making roles. The goal isn't simply to celebrate the leaders we have today. It's to ensure there are even more leaders ready to step forward tomorrow.

What Can We Do Next?

If we want to see more women in leadership roles across Canadian real estate, the responsibility doesn't belong solely to women. It belongs to all of us.

For current leaders, that may mean actively mentoring emerging professionals, encouraging participation in committees, governance, and leadership programs, or simply having conversations about career aspirations that extend beyond sales production.

For brokerages, it may mean creating clearer leadership pathways and succession plans that allow talented professionals to see what the next step could look like.

For industry organizations, it means continuing to create opportunities for education, volunteer leadership, and board participation.

And for women considering leadership, it may mean saying yes to opportunities before feeling completely ready. Many successful leaders will tell you they learned by stepping into new challenges, not by waiting until they had every answer. It may also mean fighting through obstacles and challenges that may stand in our way, and knowing it isn't always a clear and easy pathway.

Perhaps most importantly, we can all become sponsors of talent. Mentors provide advice. Sponsors create opportunities. Sometimes a leadership journey begins because someone opened a door and said, "I think you'd be great at this." The industry needs more of those moments.

Continuing the Conversation

The goal isn't to create leadership opportunities exclusively for women. The goal is to ensure that the industry's leadership reflects the incredible depth of talent already present within it. Canadian real estate is fortunate to have many accomplished women guiding brokerages, organizations, brands, and businesses. Their success has helped create stronger companies, stronger communities, and a stronger profession.

The next opportunity is to continue building on that momentum.

To encourage more women to consider leadership.

To support those who are ready to take the next step.

And to celebrate the leaders who are already showing what is possible.

Because the future of Canadian real estate will be shaped not only by the people selling homes, but by the people willing to lead the industry forward. At its best, leadership isn't about title, tenure, or gender. It's about recognizing potential, creating opportunities, and helping others succeed. The more we embrace that mindset, the stronger our industry becomes. At The Real Estate Source, we have the privilege of working with professionals from every corner of the industry. One thing is consistently clear: some of the most innovative ideas, strongest businesses, and most impactful leaders are emerging from individuals who were willing to step forward, take risks, and invest in their own growth.

That is why conversations like this matter.

Not because leadership should belong to one group over another, but because a stronger industry is built when the best talent has the opportunity to lead. I'd love to continue this conversation. Who are the women leaders who have influenced your career? What opportunities helped shape your journey? And what can we do as an industry to ensure the next generation of leaders is ready to step forward?

Share your thoughts, connect with us, or join the conversation through The Real Estate Source as we continue exploring the people, ideas, and opportunities shaping the future of Canadian real estate.