Although women are well-represented in the residential real estate industry – 62% of all realtors are female, according to the National Association of Realtors – some contend that they are not present in enough leadership roles. One of those people is Kaye Chapman, president of the Women’s Council of Realtors – Long Beach.

 

The local branch of the national professional organization seeks to promote and educate its members and to serve its community, according to Chapman. The council also has some male members. Of the 90 branch members, Chapman estimated that 80% are female.

The Women’s Council of Realtors – Long Beach is a professional organization open to women and men that aims to promote and educate its members and serve the local community. Pictured from lef, are the organization’s boardmembers: Jayne McCallister, secretary; Courtney Madnick, director of membership; Kaye Chapman, president; Loree Boldman, president-elect; Loree Swanenburg, director of programs; and Danielle France, treasurer. (Photograph by the Business Journal’s Larry Duncan)

 

“Part of our mission as Women’s Council, overall, is to have a seat at the table with the guys a little bit more, because if you look at the state and national leadership in real estate, it has been dominated by men,” Chapman said. “We are definitely trying to push through that. And most of the people who have been able to get those state or national seats have been women who have gone through the leadership in Women’s Council.”

 

The Women’s Council of Realtors (WCR) originally formed as a division of the National Association of Real Estate (now the National Association of Realtors) in 1938. According to a WCR fact sheet, it is now the 12th largest professional organization for women in the United States. A portion of dues paid by members goes to the national organization, and the remainder goes to the local branch, Chapman explained.

 

A governing board made up of the president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, director of membership and director of programs constitutes the voting body of the Long Beach branch.

 

Chapman, a realtor with Re/Max Real Estate Specialists in Long Beach, volunteered for her leadership role within the local branch of WCR because she feels it is important to give back to her industry. She is pursuing a position within the state branch of the organization, having recently applied to become a district vice president overseeing multiple Southern California chapters. “There is a lot of opportunity for leadership,” she said.

 

One of the benefits of being a member of the Women’s Council of Realtors is its network, according to Chapman. “You will find that people who are members of Women’s Council typically make more money than other realtors do,” she noted. “And a lot of that is due to the referral possibility . . . . Say I had a client that was moving to New York. I would look up a Women’s Council member in New York, and we could trade business that way. We help each other.”

 

WCR’s Long Beach chapter regularly hosts networking events to connect members with others in the industry. Its largest annual event is Vine to Wine, a fundraiser and networking event that connects members with affiliates from real estate-related fields like title and insurance, Chapman explained. These affiliates sponsor booths where they offer different wines, with the event culminating in a competition for the best varietals. “I think we probably did pretty well [this year] because I think we had over 300 people attend,” Chapman said.

 

The organization also keeps its members up to date on industry news and policies by inviting educational guest speakers, such as the head of the California Association of Realtors and the California Department of Real Estate, according to Chapman.

 

“The rules are changing. The economy changes,” she said. “You know, different services and loans come into play. Different requirements for tenants. Everything is always changing, so we want to keep everybody abreast of everything that’s new.”

 

The council also gives back to the community. Each year, the president of the board selects a charity to partner with. Chapman chose Hollenbeck PAL, a nonprofit partnered with the Los Angeles Police Department to enrich the lives of young people through character-building, financial literacy, sports, educational and other programming. “We are trying to get that program back to Long Beach,” Chapman said.

 

For more information about the Women’s Council of Realtors – Long Beach, visit www.wcr.org/chapter-sites/california/long-beach/. For inquiries about membership or events, call Chapman at 562/522-5746 or Courtney Madnick, director of membership, at 949/945-3241.