Recognition moments like International Women’s Day have their place, but lasting change in leadership representation won’t happen through celebration alone, Courtney Cager writes.
Women make up roughly two-thirds of Realtors in the United States, according to the National Association of Realtors. Yet leadership roles across the industry, ownership positions, executive seats and top decision-making roles — still skew disproportionately male.
It’s a gap that becomes especially visible each March, when International Women’s Day brings a wave of panels, tributes and social media campaigns recognizing women’s achievements across industries. The recognition is well-intentioned, but the conversation about women in leadership often stops at celebration rather than examining what actually creates opportunity.
After years of working inside the real estate industry, I’ve seen how often discussions about women in leadership focus on encouragement rather than the systems that determine who gets the chance to lead.
Opportunity, not encouragement
For many women in real estate, the issue isn’t a lack of encouragement; it’s a lack of opportunity. Women don’t need more cheerleaders telling us we’re capable of leading. Most of us already know that. What we need are organizations willing to trust us with real responsibility: the ability to make business decisions, own outcomes and shape the direction of the businesses we help build.
Encouragement matters, but opportunity is what ultimately changes careers. Titles don’t create leaders; authority does.
For years, many organizations have treated representation as a visibility problem: Spotlight more women, celebrate their achievements and encourage them to step forward. Those efforts matter, but visibility alone rarely changes who holds power.
Leadership must come with authority
The real shift happens when leadership roles are designed with real authority and accountability. Roles that carry clear decision rights and responsibility create pathways to influence, and when those systems exist, capable leaders step into them naturally.
When leadership roles lack real authority, talented people often stop pursuing them. Not because they aren’t capable, but because they recognize when influence is limited and outcomes are predetermined. Over time, that dynamic quietly reinforces the very leadership gaps organizations claim they want to close.
Across industries, companies are increasingly being asked to demonstrate not just what they say about leadership and inclusion, but also how authority and opportunity are actually distributed within their organizations. Symbolic commitments are being questioned. What matters now is whether leadership roles carry real responsibility, measurable outcomes and clear pathways for advancement.
As companies re-evaluate leadership pipelines and organizational accountability, the focus is shifting from symbolic commitments to the structures that truly determine who leads.
Women as decision makers
In my experience working inside a rapidly expanding brokerage across multiple states, the impact of such leadership structures becomes unmistakable.
One of the first things I noticed when I joined Century 21 Circle was something surprisingly simple: in leadership meetings, there was almost always a woman in the room.
In strategic conversations and decisions shaping the direction of the business, women weren’t present as observers; they were decision-makers. In an industry where leadership rooms often look the same, that stood out immediately.
As the company expanded across multiple states and continued to grow within the global Century 21 network, leadership responsibilities naturally expanded as well. What was noticeable was that it wasn’t treated as unusual inside the organization.
Leadership roles were built around responsibility for growth, culture, operations and performance, with clear authority and accountability attached to each position. As the organization scaled, women stepped into many of those roles naturally because the expectations and decision-making authority were already defined.
That structure reflects a leadership philosophy championed by our CEO, Melissa Archer-Wirtz, who has long emphasized building leadership pathways tied to trust, ownership and measurable results.
The outcome wasn’t performative. It was simply how the organization operated.
When leadership roles are designed to solve real problems and carry real authority, the question of who fills them often answers itself.
Recognition moments like International Women’s Day have their place, and the real estate industry has many leaders worth celebrating. But if lasting change in leadership representation is what we want, celebration alone will not get us there.
Real progress comes from leadership design, creating clear advancement pathways, aligning authority with responsibility and tying leadership roles to outcomes.
When leadership opportunities are real, the right people step forward. Over time, leadership begins to look remarkably different.
Courtney Cager leads marketing and brand communications initiatives at Century 21 Circle, a brokerage ranked among the top 10 in the global Century 21 network. Connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.
