Developers of the European database, Women Talk Real Estate, are exploring demand for a similar resource to help events organizers and journalists tap into more diverse expertise in the commercial real estate industry. All interested parties are invited to respond to an online survey gauging interest in a database of Black, Asian and other minority ethnic (BAME) professionals who could serve as speakers, panellists and media sources.

“The aim of the database would be to support both male and female BAME professionals to find speaking opportunities to help raise their visibility, and to offer a way for event organizers to more consistently secure a diverse range of speakers,” the preamble to the survey states.

This follows the 2017 launch of the database of women working in European commercial real estate markets, directly in property and asset management or professional, financial and technical services affiliated with the industry. In addition to connecting prospective speakers and sources with those who can take the insight to a wider audience, Women Talk Real Estate also offers training and advice on communication and interacting with panellist peers and audiences.

More than 50 prominent events and business media outlets throughout Europe have signed on as partner organizations, including industry associations, investors’ networks, non-governmental organizations and publications specializing in commercial real estate. In 2016, it was estimated that women filled about 14 per cent of speakers’ rosters at European real estate events.

“We believe that visibility matters,” the Women Talk Real Estate mission statement asserts. “For the individual, it brings about better business opportunities and career progression, and it also challenges stereotypes and provides role models for the benefit of the whole industry.”