Welcoming New Opportunities to Change the Industry Culture
As CREW Network gears up for its convention in two weeks, it releases a white paper on why this is a critical moment to use COVID-19 as a catalyst for change in CRE.
This year’s CREW Network Convention is quickly approaching and will be held September 28-30. Commercial real estate leaders from all around the globe will come together for deal making, business networking, industry education and leadership development in a hybrid event.
2021 CREW Network President, Tiffany English, senior director of architecture at Qualcomm, tells GlobeSt.com that “The CREW Network Convention is an opportunity to expand your business network and gain knowledge and insight from industry leaders and business strategists.”
Among highlights at the event, during a luncheon keynote, Sarah Thomas will discuss her journey of becoming the first female NFL official. She was the first female official to ever work a major college football game, the first woman to officiate a bowl game, and the first to officiate in a Big Ten conference stadium. In 2015, she became the National Football League’s (NFL) first full-time female official. And on February 7, 2021, she became the first female to officiate a Super Bowl.
Other highlights of the event include three panels and breakout sessions to choose from, including the following:
The Future of Office: Contract, Expand, Redesign
The Future of Frictionless Retail
Smart Cities and Sustainability
Among the eight networking sessions at the event, there will be four general sessions, breakout sessions including mega sessions and conversation corners as well as access to Netwalk/Netrun and Yoga sessions. Among the three keynote speakers will also include Linda Alvarado, president and CEO of Alvarado Construction Inc.
Click here to register for the event and check back with GlobeSt.com in the next few weeks for live coverage from Las Vegas.
In other CREW Network news, the organization recently released a white paper, which reinforces why this is a critical moment to use COVID-19 as a catalyst for change in CRE. The 2021 research paper, A Catalyst for Change: COVID-19′s Impact on Women in Commercial Real Estate, examines the pandemic’s impact on women and the CRE workplace, and steps to take to rebuild the workforce of the future, with a focus on supporting and advancing all women.
One in four women considered stepping out or stepping back from the workplace due to COVID-19, the paper said. “Women lost $800 billion (USD) in income in 2020, more than the combined GDP of 98 countries. In CRE, the pandemic presented new challenges for women and stalled their progress, but also welcomed new opportunities to change the industry culture and remove persistent workplace barriers,” the paper says.
The research paper includes the following insights taken from CREW Network’s July 2021 survey of 1,018 commercial real estate professionals across 25+ specializations and 10+ sectors in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada:
Job Loss
24% of survey respondents said that women in their work location left voluntarily
12% left or lost their job
- 78% were forced to leave
- 22% left voluntarily
- 97% identified as women
- 27% identified as Latinx
- 16% identified as Black
- 9% identified as White
- 7% identified as Asian
Compensation and Deals
54% said that they missed out on deals in 2020
39% said their compensation increased
37% compensation stayed the same
23% compensation decreased
Career Satisfaction
53% said their career satisfaction increased
51% of women vs. 62% of men
47% said their career satisfaction decreased
47% of women vs. 35% of men
Stalled Progress for Women
38% believe the pandemic stalled progress for women
32% believe it derailed progress for women/set them back
16% believe the pandemic had little or no impact on women
14% believe it leveled the playing field for women
A Shift in Priorities
50% said their career priorities have changed
52% of women and 32% of men
74% said their personal priorities have changed
90% of women and 62% of men
Changes in the CRE Workplace
70% of companies created new employee work policies as a result of the pandemic
68% of employees favor flexible work arrangements
50% of employees believe their companies will continue to offer increased work flexibility post-pandemic.