NEW YORK CITY-Even though women are making a slew of executive moves and gaining visibility in the commercial real estate industry, it seems there's still work to do in order to have a more equal female presence in the C-suite. At least in the private equity sector, that is. Data from Prequin reveals Asia is beating out the North America on the number of women holding senior roles in private equity firms. According to a report, an average of 12.8% of high-level roles in this field are held by women in Asia.

Comparably, in North America, women hold just over 10% of the same kinds of roles in private equity firms. Europe follows closely behind with 9.9% of women in senior positions.

However, the report presents good news for the industry overall, as figures show the primary investment strategy with the highest proportion of women employed in senior roles is real estate, with an average of 11.3%. If nothing else, this is definitely good news for women in commercial real estate, indicating that a more equal trend is on the way.

Sharon Peters, public relations manager with IREM, spoke a little to what she has noticed. “One thing that we know to be true...more and more women (vs. men) are electing to earn our CPM designation (the top-of-the-line credential in real estate management) which has very, very rigorous requirements,” she said. Such moves indicate that women are ready to move into more challenging positions – and are willing to do what it takes to get there.

Here's hoping that the percentage of women in high-ranking positions across the industry continues to rise over the coming years.

Instant Insights /

Prequin Report: Women Hold Power at Asia-based Private Equity Firms

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