An exclusive platform connecting aspiring female real estate professionals across the Mena region was unveiled at the Cityscape, the UAE’s largest property finding event, being held in Dubai. 

 

The CityscapeWIRE will build insight and networking opportunities to fuel their career, according to

Informa, the event organisers.

 

The new platform also secured endorsement for its UAE chapter and beyond from the Dubai Land Department through an MoU signed at the show.

 

The community will connect, grow and develop all year-round via dedicated digital platforms, as well as quarterly in-person events held across Mena in 2023, including the UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

 

"Our mission is to unite and inspire women to thrive in the real estate industry together," said CityscapeWIRE lead, Claire Hardy. 

 

"CityscapeWIRE will be a place where women at all stages of their real estate careers and lives can find peer support, mentorship and training," she added.

 

The CityscapeWIRE launch included a panel discussion featuring the initiative’s advisory board at the Cityscape Intelligence Talks on challenges including improving the representation of women in the boardroom and how to support and strengthen relationships between women in the industry and leadership. 

 

CityscapeWIRE’s advisory board brings together leading women in the sector, including Majida Ali Rashed, Assistant Director General of Dubai Land Department; Lynnette Sacchetto, Director Data and Digital Transformation at Allsopp & Allsopp; Christine Espinosa-Erlanda, Senior Associate at Godwin Austen Johnson, and Dounia Fadi, Managing Director at eXp Dubai.

 

"Dubai has been breaking glass ceilings. The government is championing us," Fadi told delegates attending the launch.

 

Sacchetto said: "Being in a multicultural society like Dubai really helps women succeed. We have some very successful real estate brokerages in Dubai that are run by women, who are respected throughout the industry. Today, 34% of real estate brokers in Dubai are women, so we’re not too far off."

 

"It’s really important that we have this platform (CityscapeWIRE) for women to show and say that it’s OK to take time off to have children, to look after your children, to prioritise family over work, to prioritise work over family one day without feeling guilty. It is OK. Every day I make a choice, but it’s about having more than one choice and being comfortable making those choices. It’s OK," she added.

 

Espinosa-Erlanda said: "It’s important that we acknowledge all opportunities that are open to us. Things are changing. Now with my 18 years’ of experience, it is my time to give back. With CityscapeWIRE we are aiming to empower women at all stages."

 

"The basic thing we need to start with is academia and education. Hopefully by empowering women, and young women, we are also empowering men," she added. 

 

The launch Of CityscapeWIRE comes with a two-year strategy to implement a mentorship programme, training courses, in-person events and workshops, as well as the creation of an industry power list to celebrate female achievers in the regional real estate sector.