Episode #79 Breaking Gender Barriers, Creating Empathy & Other Empowering Strategies

Podcast #79: Breaking Gender Barriers, Creating Empathy & Other Empowering Strategies

Featuring Leanne Pilkington
REIA President and Chief Executive Officer | Laing + Simmons Corporation

Welcome to another edition of the Propertybuyer Podcast.

In this episode, we’re beginning a new series of interviews with real estate industry legends – leaders who have been in the game for years, blazing new trails and leaving legacies for others to follow.

The real estate market consists of many different sectors, including sales agents, property managers, auctioneers, strata managers, buyers’ agents, and commercial agents, among others. Understanding how the industry operates and how you, as a buyer or seller, interact with its key players can greatly impact your personal outcomes.

Today, we’re fortunate to have industry legend Leanne Pilkington, the Chief Executive Officer of Laing + Simmons Corporation and current REIA President, with us to share her decades of experience and insight.

We’ll be exploring how Leanne has navigated breaking down gender barriers, fostering empathy, and other strategies for empowering your journey in real estate.

Questions we’ll cover in this episode:

• How long have you been working in real estate, and what was your first job?
• What attracted you to the property industry?
• What motivated you to take on the challenging role of REIA President and your previous role as REINSW President?
• How has the real estate industry treated women over the years?
• What is the current gender balance in the real estate industry, and how has it changed?
• Many people have a mistrust of real estate agents – can you explain how a sales agent approaches their job?
• Do you think women have better empathy in the role of a sales agent, and how does that benefit them?
• What support or policies have you seen that bring more empowerment to women in real estate?
• Divorce and separation are common reasons for property listings. How do you think women can be better protected to get a fair outcome in these situations?
• Agent behavior – Underquoting often makes headlines as an issue. Is this still happening, and what’s your perspective on it?
• Is there adequate regulation of sales agents in the industry, or does it need improvement?
• If you were a government minister, what reforms would you introduce to improve the real estate industry?
• Buyers’ agents have grown in prominence – what’s your view on their role in real estate transactions?
• How do you see the buyers’ agent sector evolving in the future?
• Proptech and AI are increasingly influencing the industry – what technology are you adopting at Laing + Simmons to stay ahead?
• How would you describe the current mood of the property market, and what factors are influencing it?
• What’s happening in the luxury property market, particularly with properties over $5 million?
• What has been your best property investment?
• What’s your top property tip for our audience today?