The PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit was an unmissable two-day forum encouraging leading names from all corners of the industry to come together to explore questions about the evolving real estate market.

There were:

30+ EXPERT SPEAKERS

11 ENGAGING SESSIONS

7 NETWORKING SESSIONS

Panel discussions ranged from innovation in the property sector with disruptive technologies to watch, to China’s One Belt, and opportunities across ASEAN markets.

Of the 33 confirmed speakers, eight were women and Connected Women were able to ask Sigrid Zialcita, Managing Director of Cushman & Wakefield, and Emilie Röell, Founder of Doh Eain, a couple questions in the hopes of inspiring other women seeking to make a move in real estate.

Sigrid G. Zialcita, Managing Director, Research, Asia Pacific, Cushman & Wakefield

What’s it like being a woman who has broken through the glass ceiling?

It is an incredible honor to be recognized as among the top women leaders in the industry.  But like for many people, it has not been a paved and straight road, having been pulled in too many directions in my quest to do it all. There have also been occasional dips and detours as I dealt with prejudice and/or made choices on work and family/having a personal life.

So I have learned to focus on things that matter and embrace the uncertainty that comes with my choices.  Of course, I feel very fortunate to have a close-knit and supportive family as well as a group of friends who have my back and be part of a company that believes in diversity and inclusivity in the organization.

What, specifically, are you doing in your company that helps women to also aspire to such heights?

We walk the talk; having diversity in our leadership team is a business imperative.

The numbers tell the story. We have women comprising about 40-50% of workers across all our offices in the region, with 30-40% in leadership roles. At the same time, we have policies that allow women to be able to juggle family responsibilities while building a career.

Employees can apply to work from home, which is certainly beneficial to not only a working mother but to all personnel with similar commitments.  We have a lactation room and Women’s Day is celebrated passionately with workshops, which in the spirit of inclusivity, welcomes men too.

Emilie Röell, Founder, Doh Eain

What’s it like being a woman who has broken through the glass ceiling?

After a number of years with the Dutch Government and international organisations such as the EU and UNDP in Brussels, the Pacific and Myanmar working on governance and community development, I founded my own organisation dedicated to heritage restoration and urban regeneration in Myanmar.

There are comparatively fewer women in Myanmar founding start-ups or working in high-level positions in real estate, leading to some surprise sometimes, but I haven’t encountered specific obstacles being a woman.

What, specifically, are you doing in your organisation that helps women to also aspire to such heights?

We like to work with young architects, engineers and urban planners from Myanmar, and seek to attract even numbers of male and female talent, empowering both of them to build their careers and create positive impact for Myanmar.

Women Everywhere

No one industry is exclusive to either female nor male, but we love that both Emilie and Sigrid are proud to actively seek equal opportunities for women in their workforces.