Overheard in a Sotheby’s Office

Each month, I write a short piece for Sotheby's International Realty's Women Empowered (WE). Here is May's edition.

Women owned homes are on the rise.

In learning of another new listing coming onto the market, Bob the boy agent said, “I live in that neighborhood. I don’t understand why Alice does so well there. I never get any business in my own neighborhood.”

A woman nearby responded, “People know, like and trust her.”

He said, “I’ve lived in my house for over 10 years in that neighborhood. Why do they trust her more than me?”

Another woman answered, “She’s a woman.”

The office went silent.

That was the whole explanation. Not marketing, geography, production stats, or years in the business. Just alignment with the people actually making the decisions.

And that brings us to something the data is now confirming.

Women Are Driving the Market. Are We Ready to Meet Them There?

According to Realtor.com, single women now represent about 21% of all homebuyers, compared to just 9% of single men. Among first time buyers, the gap is even wider: 25% single women vs. 10% single men. Nationwide, more than 20 million single women own homes, making them the largest independent buyer segment in real estate today.

This is not a trend that is emerging. It is already here and many of us feel it in our businesses every day.

Women are shaping relocation decisions, leading multigenerational purchases, building legacy properties, and investing independently in lifestyle markets. Homeownership is no longer tied to partnership. It is tied to autonomy, strategy, and long term stability.

So the question becomes - how can we better serve the women who are already driving the market?

The answer may be simpler than we think.

Serving women in today’s market does not require a separate playbook. It requires recognizing who is sitting at the table. Women are increasingly making purchasing decisions on their own, controlling significant wealth, and approaching real estate with a clear sense of purpose. They are often highly informed, financially sophisticated, and focused on both lifestyle and long-term value.

As agents, lenders, developers, and industry leaders, our role is not to assume what women want. It is to listen. To understand their goals, communicate clearly, and provide the information and confidence they need to make decisions on their own terms.

The industry has spent decades talking about the future of women in real estate. The reality is that women are no longer an emerging force in the market. They are the market.

Perhaps the women in that office conversation had it right all along. It was never just about who lived in the neighborhood. It was about who understood the people buying and selling there.