How Women Are Disrupting Residential Development

Residential development is productive, lucrative, and highly competitive. For women, it can be equally challenging and satisfying to find our place in residential real estate development. Simply put, residential development is the process of renovating existing structures or building new structures on vacant land into residential housing and commercial real estate. Residential development means seeing a thriving community where one does not currently exist. 

How are women disrupting residential development? By preparing themselves and other women with a solid groundwork of skills, tools, knowledge, and ability. Women are equipping themselves with a solid education, an increasing knowledge of residential development, and an eye for seeing property and whole communities before they are built. If you’re a woman looking to break into residential development, real estate, or construction, look for industry-specific educational opportunities such as, construction management schools and apprenticeships that teach industry-specific skills, and colleges and universities offering degrees in business management. Both are beneficial because a solid education must be backed by hands-on knowledge.

In addition to the right education, knowledge, and tools, women must also build supportive communities outside the workforce and outside the office. In an industry where women are making new headway, the support of other women is crucial. That support can take a variety of forms.

• Help each other develop the distinct, diverse skillset needed for each area of residential development.
• Help each other finance building ownership and development.
• Help each other commiserate and find new doors to open.

For women, there is indeed strength in numbers – and that strength will help those numbers grow. As women, we bring a new perspective to residential development. We’re good listeners, natural visionaries, and effective managers and leaders. We’ve proven this in the home, and now is the time to prove it in the field. Organization and management are two of the strong suits that can help us grow and develop in residential development – and in life.