Moments of recognition like International Women’s Day have their place, but lasting change in leadership representation doesn’t happen through celebrations alone, writes Courtney Cager.
According to the National Association of Realtors, women make up about two-thirds of real estate agents in the United States. However, leadership roles, ownership positions, executive seats, and top decision-making roles across industries continue to skew male.
This gap is especially evident on International Women’s Day every March, when panels, tributes and social media campaigns celebrate the achievements of women across industries. While this recognition is well-intentioned, conversations about women in leadership often end in celebration rather than considering what actually creates opportunities.
Having worked in the real estate industry for years, I have seen discussions about women’s leadership often focus on encouragement rather than the systems that determine who gets the opportunity to lead.
Opportunity, not encouragement
For many women in real estate, the problem isn’t a lack of encouragement. It’s a lack of opportunity. Women don’t need more cheerleaders telling us we can lead. Most of us already know that. What we need is an organization that trusts us with real responsibility, the ability to make business decisions, drive our own outcomes, and shape the direction of the business we help build.
Encouragement is important, but opportunity is what ultimately changes careers. Titles don’t create leaders. Authority does.
For many years, many organizations have treated representation as a matter of visibility. We’ve put more women in the spotlight, celebrated their achievements and encouraged them to move forward. While these efforts are important, visibility alone rarely changes who holds power.
Leaders need authority
Real change happens when leadership roles are designed with real authority and responsibility. Roles with clear decision-making authority and responsibility create avenues for influence, and when such systems exist, effective leaders step into them naturally.
A lack of real authority in a leadership role often deters talented people from pursuing the role. This is not because they are incompetent, but because they recognize when their influence is limited and their outcomes predetermined. Over time, this dynamic quietly reinforces the very leadership gap that the organization claims to be closing.
Across industries, companies are increasingly being asked not just to say what they say about leadership and inclusion, but to demonstrate how power and opportunity are actually distributed within their organizations. Symbolic promises are being called into question. What matters now is whether a leader’s role has real responsibility, measurable results, and a clear path to advancement.
As companies reevaluate their leadership pipelines and organizational responsibilities, the focus is shifting from symbolic commitments to the structures that truly determine who is a leader.
Women as decision makers
In my experience working within a rapidly expanding brokerage firm across multiple states, the impact of such a leadership structure is undeniable.
One of the first things I noticed when I joined Century 21 Circle was how surprisingly simple it was. In leadership meetings, there was almost always a woman in the room.
Women were not present as observers in the strategic conversations and decisions that shaped the direction of the business. They were the decision makers. In an industry where leadership rooms often look the same, it immediately stood out.
As the company expanded into multiple states and continued to grow within the global Century 21 network, leadership responsibilities naturally expanded. What was notable was that it was not treated as something special within the organization.
Leadership roles were built around responsibility for growth, culture, operations and performance, with each position given clear authority and accountability. As organizations expanded, women naturally came into many of these roles because expectations and decision-making authority were already defined.
This structure reflects the leadership philosophy advocated by our CEO, Melissa Archer Wirtz. She has long emphasized building leadership pathways tied to trust, ownership, and measurable results.
The results were not performative. It was simply how the organization operated.
When a leadership role is designed to solve real problems and assume real authority, the question of who takes on that role often resolves itself.
Moments of recognition like International Women’s Day have their place, and there are many leaders in the real estate industry worth celebrating. But if lasting change in leadership representation is what we want, celebration alone will not get us there.
Real progress comes from designing leadership, creating clear progression paths, aligning authority and responsibility, and connecting leadership roles and outcomes.
When leadership opportunities become a reality, the right people will step forward. Over time, leadership begins to look significantly different.
Courtney Cager leads marketing and brand communications efforts at Century 21 Circle, a top 10 ranked brokerage firm in the global Century 21 network. Connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.
