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A prominent real estate agent, mentor, coach and speaker has explained why the concept of giving back has become key within the industry.
Opening the scene at Sydney’s Women in Real Estate and Male Ambassadors of Change Business Breakfast Series, host Sherrie Storor shed light on the value of agents giving back.
For this year’s Breakfast Series, Ms Storor decided to partner with Orange Sky Laundry, a charity organisation whose focus is on creating a safe and supportive environment for those experiencing homelessness.
With 116,000 people in Australia experiencing such, the importance of supporting a cause like this is not lost on Ms Storor, who said those in the real estate industry are in a prime position to lend a hand.
“The property industry is changing and the more agents I work with, the more I see that agents truly want to give back to our communities and we want to do more for the marketplace and we’re starting to feel this social responsibility to do so. I certainly feel it as well,” she told attendees.
“For me, I was looking for a charity I could really partner with this year, and a charity that really spoke to me was Orange Sky Laundry. Quite simply, they help those that are experiencing homelessness.
“For people in our industry and certainly for myself as an agent, I never really thought about those that didn’t have a roof over their heads, and it’s a big issue here in Australia. In fact, one out of every 200 are experiencing homelessness.
“We’re always very much focused on the next house and where we’re going to next and thinking about our buyers and sellers, but what about those people who don’t even have a roof? So, I guess for me, I really wanted to partner with them, and when [I was exploring this,] I found out that the largest growing sector of people experiencing homelessness is actually women over 55.”
Speaking broadly, Ms Storor said it’s vital to be able to break down the barriers women face in the industry and create more role models for the younger generation to look up to. This, she says, is why the Business Breakfast was launched in the first place.
“As women, we work very differently, but for a long time we’ve sort of been told the facts wrong or ‘that’s not the right way to do things’, but we are cultivated different[ly] and we are different and I really wanted to take a moment to acknowledge that and tell you what we’re doing is working,” she said.
“This industry truly is on the verge of change, and I’m sure you guys are all feeling it. For me, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge that because it’s now all about this collaboration. This series certainly wouldn’t be possible without collaborating with many people.”
However, Ms Storor noted it’s not just about the women championing their cause.
“How can we talk about inequality on our industry if when we have women’s events we actually don’t have men up on the stage? We do have lots of men in the room today, so I really wanted to take a moment to acknowledge you for turning up,” she said.
“The other thing I’m so proud of with this series is that it’s all-inclusive. Not only do we have men up on the stage this year, we also have everybody from all kinds of roles within the industry. So, we’ve got CEOs, thought leaders, office managers, salespeople, principals, property managers, and I really want to celebrate everybody in this industry, regardless of your gender, regardless of your role within the industry and regardless of your banner.
“We’re really coming together to talk about some topics we don’t really get to talk about on a public platform.”
The Women in Real Estate and Male Ambassadors of Change Business Breakfast Series continues in Melbourne on 17 September and Adelaide on 24 September.
Sydney’s event also heard from director of industry relations for REA Group Steve Carroll, who explained the changes coming to the industry and why women leadership can help steady the ship.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emma Ryan
Emma Ryan is the deputy head of editorial at Momentum Media.
Emma has worked for Momentum Media since 2015, and has since been responsible for breaking some of the biggest stories in corporate Australia, including across the legal, mortgages, real estate and wealth industries. In addition, Emma has launched several additional sub-brands and events, driven by a passion to deliver quality and timely content to audiences through multiple platforms.
Email Emma on: Emma.Ryan@momentummedia.
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