Earlier this year, Yardi began a new initiative in the UK called Yardi RISE. Fay Chester, regional director, and Amber Crighton, event planner, wanted to create a new event for women at Yardi to network, inspire and empower each other. The event focuses on four pillars: R – RecogniseDiscussing things that affect women in the workplace, such as health (e.g., menopause, pregnancy and more). I – InspireCelebrating each other’s successes and learning from one another as tech is still a male-dominated industry. These events can help inspire people who are new in their careers and want to work their way up the ladder. S – ShowcaseWhat opportunities are there that women can get involved with, e.g., events, speaking panels, mentoring opportunities etc. E – EmpowerSupporting, encouraging and challenging ourselves and one another, whilst being able to talk freely in a non-judgmental space. For the first event, we hosted one session in London and one in our UK head office in Milton Keynes with guest speakers, Hannah Marsh, co-founder of HomeViews and Margaret Sweeney, executive director and chief executive officer for IRES REIT. These first sessions focused on careers and we began the session by introducing ourselves, our role at Yardi and who inspires us. Our guest speakers then presented and gave advice on how they became successful women in real estate. Hannah Marsh went first and opened up by stating, “I had no idea what to do with my career once I graduated and now, I’m a co-founder at HomeViews and an entrepreneur. Honestly, I still don’t know what to do with my career but I don’t think it matters. I don’t know what the next 20 years are going to offer me, but you need to take ownership of your career and not wait for something to happen. Make decisions for yourself and not what people believe is the right career for you as they will always put a label on you.” Marsh gave eight tips for women in real estate – Put yourself forward and compete – make sure you have a voice and put yourself out there Be credible – do your research before a meeting but remember it’s okay to learn as you go Be visible – put your hand up and get yourself seen Relationships matter – people will want to do business with you when they like you Don’t assume you’re being treated fairly – ask questions and don’t be afraid to challenge When you no longer get nervous, it might be time to move on – if you’re not excited about what you’re working on or get a buzz from a project, you need to start asking for more Trust your voice and instincts As you manage and lead, give your team the opportunities to shine Marsh showed us how it doesn’t matter if you’re unsure of where you want your career to go, but make sure you do something that makes you passionate and inspires you. Don’t be afraid to have your voice heard and it’s the relationships you make along the way that help you grow and allow you to nurture your teams as you start to lead. Margaret Sweeney opened her session by expressing that her first ambition in life was to be a teacher, however, she pivoted into a BCOMM degree to give herself more options in her career. She always believed it was better to choose something that would allow her to have options, but nowadays thanks to technology there are more jobs available which makes the world of real estate more exciting. Sweeney’s advice to the group were the 6 C’s – Confidence – having self-assurance – be confident in yourself and try not to overanalyse everything. Only analyse why you should get the job, not why you shouldn’t get it. Communication – Always use your voice. Organisations and companies are structured around organisation models that...