Real Estate Careers Give Women the Flexibility to Balance Career and Family

More women are looking for flexible careers, and are finding that real estate fits their needs. A recent study by the Simmons School of Management describes this trend toward a career path that allows a woman to use the benefits of real estate sales to make substantial incomes while raising a family. Simmons is the country's only business school designed for women.

According to the study, advantages of real estate include the ability to telecommute from home, make appointments at times when the children are in school.

Women in the corporate world sometimes need to travel out of town, must work from 8 to 5, and sometimes must put in overtime hours. In real estate, the salesperson is an “independent contractor,” paid for results, not working hours. Brokers may not require that a sales associate put in a full day at the office, nor hold open houses, nor work on the weekends.

Contrary to the popular belief that women are opting out of the workforce in droves, more and more women are finding ways to use flexible work arrangements. Women can now set their own terms as a way to make “work, work.”

Among other things, the study found that:

• more than 90 percent of the women surveyed have used some kind of flexible working arrangement during their career;
• nearly 85 percent were responsible for at least half the household income;
• only 18 percent voluntarily left the work force at some point in their career.

The study says “women leave corporate America because it's so rigid. That's why so many opt for real estate, which is the first career in which women acted as independent agents. Until large organizations change, career paths such as real estate will remain a popular choice.”