EDITOR’S COMMENT: I was with 60 smart, strong women from across the built environment when news broke that the US Supreme Court had overturned Roe v Wade, unravelling the constitutional right to an abortion in the country.
We were cycling from Austria to Budapest as part of the annual PedElle ride, raising money for charities including Coram, which has been aiding vulnerable children for more than 280 years.
It was a poignant moment. Here I was with these phenomenal women, many of them leaders in all aspects of the property industry from consultancy to law, architecture, investment, planning and engineering, all very capable of making important decisions, who – had we been US inhabitants instead of UK – would now have largely had their ability to make a decision ripped away from them.
They would be second-class citizens, pushed back into the dark ages. They would be gagged and bound. They would have their freedom of choice removed.
You may wonder why I would choose to write about a person’s right to abortion on the front page of a real estate publication, but how could I not? As many of you know, I feel a huge sense of responsibility to use this platform responsibly. To showcase the real estate market for all that it is – the good and bad – and all that it can and should be.
And it is here, in moments like this, when I believe real estate businesses and the sector as a whole has the opportunity to step up and show its true colours.
It is in this moment where real estate has the chance to prove it really is a people-focused industry. That it does care about more than deals and filling its pockets with cash. And it is here that I have to give a huge thank you to Cushman & Wakefield. The only US-based advisory that, as I write these words, was brave enough to take a stand on what I know is a highly political and emotional subject.
The firm deserves to be rewarded for that. It, along with some of the big real estate private equity investment firms, has told their US staff that should they need to travel out of state for health reasons, they will provide the funds necessary for that trip.
This is the kind of action that says screw the politics, our people matter most. It says we care about the health and well-being of our people above all else. It says we value women, and support women in their choices. This is equality.
From the numerous firms I’ve spoken to over the past few days, I know many were desperate to take a stand but all wanted to make sure they could follow through with action, not just words. This couldn’t just be putting a black square or Ukrainian flag on an Instagram feed and saying “we stand by”. Many of those companies we haven’t been able to list here wanted to be able to make sure they could actually do something before taking that stand.
That is progress, and I celebrate that. I’d just love them to be able to act as swiftly as C&W did.
These events in the US also serve as a stark reminder of how fragile progress around the ED&I agenda is and how vital it is that we continue to speak up, speak out and take actions that enable all people the same rights. The rights to freedom, to make choices for themselves, to do what is right for them, even if it might not align with what is right for you.
Real estate has come such a long way on its journey to being more open, inclusive and equal. But that path is not linear. There will be shocks along the way. And there will be individuals who will want to turn back time and may use politics or beliefs to do that.
But this business of real estate is stronger than that. It has taken its first steps to change and I beg of you, both personally and professionally, to please keep pushing forward.
Be brave. Be better. Put people first.
To send feedback, e-mail samantha.mcclary@eg.co.uk or tweet @samanthamcclary or @EGPropertyNews
