More deadly than the male
What is the most important event in March? The MIPIM fair, of course! A perfect place to give the feminine point of view on the world of real estate on the occasion of another important event in March – Women’s Day
Ewa Andrzejewska
“The theory that men are the missing link in the chain of evolution between us women and apes is obvious to any woman.” You may think I am being deliberately offensive to all the gentlemen in the real estate and construction industry. Don’t worry, this is not my intention – I was merely quoting the unforgettable Polish comedy ‘Sex Mission’.As we set out to find successful women working in the industry to provide the female perspective in the March issue, marking Women’s Day, I am reminded of the Juliusz Machulski film. The main characters Aleks and Maksio wake up after 53 years of hibernation in a new reality – a world without men. Perversely, it turns out in the end that the queen in this wasps’ nest is really a man!
By answering five identical questions, eleven female managers from Central and Eastern Europe give us their account of equal opportunities in the world of real estate. These women believe that although gender is not such an important factor in the business these days, it is still nevertheless quite difficult for women to fight their way up to the top. And as a consequence, there are fewer women than men in real estate and – particularly – in construction. But gentlemen, be afraid, since nobody is quite sure how long the status quo will continue...
Aleksandra Zentile-Miller
architect/director, Chapman Taylor Warsaw
Do you think that the real estate and construction industry has a specifically male gender?
Real estate is like a woman – sometimes capricious, at other times highly determined, or, like many women in having different looks and character. The construction sector definitely has a male gender – there is no time here for whims or uncertainty, as there is no way back once a decision is made.
Women in the real estate and construction market are...
In real estate a woman can forget that she doesn’t have to be a man. In the construction sector, however, men will never allow her to forget that she is a woman.
Do women have qualities that men do not have that are advantageous in the business? In what ways are women superior to men?
Instinct and female intuition – sometimes bordering on magic and witchcraft I think. However, our determination to reach a goal should not be underestimated. There is an old Polish saying: “If the Devil can’t do it, then send for a woman.” In my opinion in the end gender doesn’t matter – it’s the results that count.
Your first job in the industry?
A London-based architecture company, which back then had a 20-year history. Not only were they hiring a woman for the first time, but this woman happened to be from a country behind the Iron Curtain. I can still remember the suspicion in the air: “So, is she a spy or not…?”
What are your expectations for 2009 for the sector you work in?
This is going to be a very good year – it will test our mettle and reveal who the real men and women are.
Adrienne Konthur
managing director, CB RE Hungary
Do you think that the real estate and construction industry has a specifically male gender?
In my opinion the Hungarian business community in general is a traditionally masculine one. Nevertheless, companies nowadays are starting to realize that female managers have a lot of advantageous leadership capabilities, and so the number of women in top positions has considerably grown over the past years.
Women in the real estate and construction market are...
qualified experts who often have to prove themselves twice as much in order to be accepted.
Do women have qualities that men do not have that are advantageous in the business? In what ways are women superior to men?
Due to their capacity for empathy and sympathy, women may be better at solving certain problems. It is also a feminine gift to be able to concentrate on many things at once and multi-task. Women should not feel intimidated by the fact that they often have to negotiate with men. We all are experts and do our best – and at the end of the day that’s all that matters.
Your first job in the industry?
I have been working in the property sector for over a decade. As a founding member of the US real estate developer and investor AIG/Lincoln in Hungary, I was responsible for marketing and leasing the office and industrial projects as marketing director. I joined CB Richard Ellis in 2003 and I have been managing director of CB RE Hungary since 2005.
What are your expectations for 2009 for the sector you work in?
I am fairly certain that we have another tough year ahead. We have never seen a more difficult and challenging market place than the one we are all working in now. However, we do hope to see some signs of improvement on the market from the second half of the year.
Jane Durrant
managing director, Euromost Polska, a Hill International company
Do you think that the real estate and construction industry has a specifically male gender?
Certainly not. Many women have made it successfully to the top in the construction sector, myself included.
Women in the real estate and construction market are...
full of determination and willing to put a lot of hard work in.
Do women have qualities that men do not have that are advantageous in the business? In what ways are women superior to men?
In the construction industry the sky is the limit. For a woman, as long as you have the determination and put in the hard work, there is plenty of scope to move up the career ladder. Almost 200,000 women work in construction, proving that it’s definitely not just “jobs for the boys”! Being a woman you do have to reach for the opportunities and snatch them away from the men.
Your first job in the industry?
I got a job with Costain Civil Engineering, building aircraft hangers at an American airbase in Bentwaters in the UK.
What are your expectations for 2009 for the sector you work in?
The onset of the global financial crisis has thrown all plans for 2009 into a state of panic, eroding investor confidence and leaving forecasts in tatters. Nevertheless, experts say Poland is better positioned than most EU countries to weather the storm, and the crisis could turn out to be a much needed period of cleansing.
Anna Tomowicz
partner at Salans law firm
Do you think that the real estate and construction industry has a specifically male gender?
This is a really difficult question... Maybe you should carry out a survey one day? The result may be very interesting. I think the winners in this industry are those who can and like to talk, are curious, courageous and patient, and who go by intuition. Are men like this? For sure, both the industry and the male sex are rapidly evolving. I hope that if one day we get to celebrate Men’s Day, I will be somewhere far away from this industry, on a beach… smoking cigars and drinking whisky!
Women in the real estate and construction market are…
in 12 cm high heels, Hermès scarves with helmets on their heads – pink helmets.
Do women have qualities that men do not have that are advantageous in the business? In what ways are women superior to men?
I hope we still differ, and let it stay this way. What am I better at? For example, I know what colour turquoise with a shade of amaranth is – most of my male colleagues I would say probably don’t know that.
Your first job in the industry?
My first was in an international firm, where there were only men around me with one exception. Paradise.
What are your expectations for 2009 for the sector you work in?
Challenging. Many new opportunities. Nothing will stay the same.
Magdalena Szulc
country manager, Segro Poland
Do you think that the real estate and construction industry has a specifically male gender?
I think in the real estate and construction industry – as in most large corporations – there are still only a few women in the top positions. But those who have managed to get there are quickly and courageously climbing the career ladder.
Women in the real estate and construction market are…
Creative.
Do women have qualities that men do not have that are advantageous in the business? In what ways are women superior to men?
Let me reply to this question by slightly paraphrasing Ignacy Paderewski: “The road to success is full of women pushing men.” And seriously – there is no official research indicating that men do better in business than women, or vice versa. Thinking of myself and my female colleagues from this sector, I see first of all creativity, self-confidence and enormous determination to achieve our objectives.
Your first job in the industry?
In a company in the construction sector specializing in retail centres.
What are your expectations for 2009 for the sector you work in?
Interesting, slightly unpredictable, but certainly an important test of managerial and leadership qualities, irrespective of one’s sex.
Nikolina Nikolova
general manager, Hercesa Bulgaria
Do you think that the real estate and construction industry has a specifically male gender?
I don’t think this is only men’s territory. Sex doesn’t matter if the person is a professional who is a team-player, believing in their skills and potential. This business is very dynamic, with constant changes occurring meaning that we all continually need to develop so we can keep up with new processes. If you can manage to do this, regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, then you will be successful.
Women in the real estate and construction market are...
To quote the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu: “To act means to be”.
Do women have qualities that men do not have that are advantageous in the business? In what ways are women superior to men?
Well, if we are where we are, successfully running our businesses, obviously we all have good qualities. However, what I have noticed is that the women in real estate are more open and able to establish contacts faster. They also seem to gain one’s trust sooner. We are more patient and consistent in pursuing our goals, and last but not least, we are good listeners, who have the ability to convince people.
Your first job in the industry?
In 2004, I started working in local government, regional politics and the infrastructure commission of the Bulgarian parliament – this is where I had my first contact with the real estate and construction industry. Later on, I continued to deal with these issues working for the European Commission and the European Parliament. As a lawyer I’ve also been involved in real estate-related cases.
What are your expectations for 2009 for the sector you work in?
This is not going to be an easy year for our sector. We need to maintain the customer’s trust by constantly improving our product – this is what the customer now demands: high quality at lower prices. As investors we need to be very careful when planning our budgets.
Elitsa Panayotova
architect/manager, Skica Studio
Do you think that the real estate and construction industry has a specifically male gender?
The only sectors that should be reserved for men are those that need purely physical strength.
Women in the real estate and construction market are...
Attractive, intelligent, strong and a nice “colourful” exception. Anyone who has been to MIPIM in Cannes will have certainly noticed that the streets are filled with penguins – thousands of men in black or blue suits with the obligatory and unoriginal white shirt. The ladies provide an important exception, as they have the privilege to dress in colour.
Do women have qualities that men do not have that are advantageous in the business? In what ways are women superior to men?
If you ask the men they would say that the two typically female qualities are intuition and craftiness. When I attended a class for women on managerial positions, we would often be told that the ability to make contacts is a female attribute. In my opinion, we possess lots of skills and qualities, so it seems appropriate to quote my sister, who once in our childhood years summarized the issue with these words: being a girl is just so much better!
Your first job in the industry?
As an architect.
What are your expectations for 2009 for the sector you work in?
It’s going to be a creative year, in every aspect.
Eliza Wachowiec
member of the management board of Magnus Group
Do you think that the real estate and construction industry has a specifically male gender?
Construction is certainly more ‘masculinized’ than the general real estate sector, but still, the ratio of women among engineers, architects and managers is significant. As far as design, sales, marketing and real estate agency are concerned, the proportions are much more balanced.
Women in the real estate and construction market are…
Game for anything – feeling and looking as good in high heels as in wellies.
Do women have qualities that men do not have that are advantageous in the business? In what ways are women superior to men?
I wouldn’t demonize those differences. Women are certainly more attentive to detail and, while men push forward, we tend to notice what’s going on at the sides as well. We are probably better listeners, which lets us collect more information subliminally. This quality is also helpful in business negotiations.
Your first job in the industry?
In my case, this is the first job in this industry.
What are your expectations for 2009 for the sector you work in?
Certainly, difficult and full of change. I think the greatest problem at the moment is the complete unpredictability of the future course of events. Because of the long production cycle, relative stability is particularly important in this sector. In the meantime, as a result of the inability to plan rationally, everyone is making many ‘sudden moves’ whose outcome may well be the opposite of what they had been expecting.
Oxana Yelmanova
general manager, FIM Group
Do you think that the real estate and construction industry has a specifically male gender?
Yes, the real estate market has been dominated by men so far, but increasing numbers of women are becoming successful in this sector and in business generally. In recent years, we have seen fewer men in managerial positions, allowing women to take the initiative. And I have noticed a sort of male weariness. These days, women are replacing men and I feel that we are on the verge of a period of matriarchy.
Women in the real estate and construction market are...
At the stage of building operation and management we are hospitable hostesses. However, at the construction stage we are firm, iron ladies, as no project can proceed successfully without strong character and ‘strong Russian words’.
Do women have qualities that men do not have that are advantageous in the business? In what ways are women superior to men?
Each project created by a woman starts with love and comfort. Women always see the whole process through themselves. They are cautious. Men are more inclined to carry out large projects with momentum, but also with risk. Women will always ask themselves if the project is necessary and they will focus on the future – how to live in the building once it’s constructed, how to operate it, how comfortable it will be to the end user. Furthermore, women are tolerant and patient, qualities that men lack.
Your first job in the industry?
My experience in the industry is diverse, just like Russia’s image. My prime responsibility has always been making money. My career began eighteen years ago, and already by then I understood that in life you can only count on yourself. Initially I worked in the advertising industry. Later, I co-organized one of the first production studios; subsequent to that, I was involved in wholesale trade and transport. We also built the first warehouse that we needed and at that time I got to understand how absorbing and demanding the real estate market is. These were the beginnings of FIM Consulting, which later on developed into the FIM Group of Companies.
What are your expectations for 2009 for the sector you work in?
This is already the third crisis I can remember. In an unstable economy, business related to real estate seems to be more resilient, but only if run correctly. In an unstable country, investing in a tangible asset reduces risk; therefore, I still believe that real estate is one of the least risky sectors of the economy to be involved in. The experience of this crisis proves that what is important is not the capital invested in real estate, but good management of one’s capital along with debt servicing capability. For me, 2008 was the most difficult year. I could not understand how the market could be developing at such an alarming rate. I could not understand how companies with a track record of only two years could create enormous numbers of large scale projects worth millions. At the end of the day, those companies did not have much to show for their efforts.
Lenka Sisulakova
director of Mayfield
Do you think that the real estate and construction industry has a specifically male gender?
Yes, there are definitely more men than women in real estate, especially in executive positions. It might be because construction has been always considered a “man’s job”. However, real estate is actually more than construction. It has much to do with finance and economics, and in the last few years I have seen more and more women in the industry, which is a good because I think that a woman’s insight is very important.
Women in the real estate and construction market are…
strong personalities and passionate about what they are doing, because often they have to prove that they are as good as men – or even better – and they really do understand their jobs.
Do women have qualities that men do not have that are advantageous in the business? In what ways are women superior to men?
Men and women are different and I think that it is beneficial for the industry to have them both involved. Women usually have a more developed feeling for the social aspects of properties, such as services etc., which can substantially add value.
Your first job in the industry?
I have been working for Mayfield for 12 years and my job has changed over time as different projects and opportunities have emerged. Considering the ever changing market conditions, especially in this period when the real estate market in the CEE region has been basically created from scratch after the fall of communism, it seems like I’ve had at least 5 different jobs.
What are your expectations for 2009 for the sector you work in?
2009 will be a very interesting year. The time is coming when it will become clear which companies are based on solid fundamentals, and these will be the ones that continue their activities and develop new projects – even in these uncertain times.
Dagmara Nickel
president of the management board of Nickel Development
Do you think that the real estate and construction industry has a specifically male gender?
In the Polish language, the word ‘industry’ is feminine, along with ‘real estate’, ‘architecture’, ‘construction’ and ‘investment’.
