We are all brainwashed to hold on to old beliefs
For many generations, women have been seen as merely a child-producing source; as a nurturing resource for everyone around them, and in various ways as men’s support mechanism. However, as we are progressing through the twenty-first century, the roles of both genders have been transforming quite a lot.
For decades now, women have been joining the armed forces in many countries in roles other than nurses. More recently, women have been actively joining technology companies as subject matter experts in computer programming languages, as well as database and system administrators. Women are more accepted to lead companies in CEO, CIO, and COO positions among many other senior roles. It’s not unusual to see women in politics, including such famous women as Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ivanka Trump, and many more.
Real Estate is no different. I have yet to discover a profession within real estate that a woman cannot undertake due to her gender. Yet many of us (women) have been “brainwashed” to believe that real estate investing is not really for women because, in James Brown’s words, This is a Man’s World. In fact, for the most part, women in real estate are mostly associated with being a Realtor or a Real Estate Agent, which is a great profession in its own right, but it is unfortunate to see the totally unnecessary male dominance in such a gender-neutral industry as real estate investing. So unsurprisingly, after attending a multitude of networking events, and repeatedly still being asked whether I am a realtor, I decided to take action.
I researched real estate investing for several months and found that we – women – “brainwashed” ourselves: we are the ones that decided that real estate investing professions, whether a commercial broker or a banker, is relegated to a men’s roles. Hence, we have been ignoring real estate investment opportunities for much too long a time.
In conclusion, my effort with this article is to reinforce being open-minded to real estate investing. As a woman, regardless whether you want to have an active role in real estate a broker (among many other examples), or to invest passively through, for instance, crowdfunding or as an equity partner in syndications, take action and start educating yourself!
