'A Big Problem': For Women Brokers, Becoming A Mom Often Means Lost Pay, Clients

Maternity benefits in many commercial real estate companies have improved, but women in the brokerage business often face the stark reality of missing out on income or even losing clients when they have children.

While many commercial real estate firms and brokerages offer maternity and paternity leave for staff that measure up with the traditional benefits packages found in corporate America, brokers find themselves in a challenging position due to their status as independent contractors. 

“Because most brokers are 1099, when they’re not working, they’re not earning,” said Allison Weiss, CEO of CRE Recruiting. “Their clients are at risk of being poached by other brokers in their offices or competitors. That leads many female brokers to return to work too early or keep up some semblance of work during. It’s a big problem.”

Women make up roughly 38% of the CRE industry, according to the Commercial Real Estate Women’s Network’s 2025 Benchmark study. And while many companies have made strides toward helping mothers, like nursing rooms or flexible working hours, broker moms say the issue of compensation while on maternity leave is one that could keep others from joining their ranks.

“This is a profession where there aren't many women,” said Isabella Gonzalez Webster, mom of a 2-year-old and assistant director at Savills in Newport Beach, California. “And sometimes, you wonder if this is about adequate support if you’re a woman who wants to be a mom. It's like, is that a field I want to get into knowing that I also want to be a mom?” 

Gonzalez Webster, who was a staff member during her first pregnancy and had maternity leave, is contemplating a second child now, which means a different planning scenario altogether. Her dilemma is one common to women across CRE. 

“Now that I’m going into brokerage, I don't have that same designated and paid three months off,” she said. 

Many women in brokerage plan ahead like she has, taking maternity leaves early in their tenure at a new firm because work will only get busier. 

“It's your choice, but that also makes you nervous because you have no actual protection,” Gonzalez Webster added.

There’s a sense in brokerage that your career is your lifestyle: It’s not uncommon for brokers to bring laptops on vacation or maintain connections to work even during moments like bereavement. There’s always a drive to stay on top of things, Gonzalez Webster said. But issues of family planning and maternity leave can be even more complicated.

Often, independent contractors contemplating maternity leave set up client swaps with co-workers and need to rely on other informal arrangements to maintain working relationships during their time out of work. Gonzalez Webster said the choice of partners and working arrangements is a massive decision and “the only real security you can award yourself.” 

While this issue also impacts male brokers who need to weigh economic realities and career questions as they contemplate plans for paternity leave, it weighs significantly on women in these roles.

“It's a little bit unusual that that period isn't protected because, as a mom, you're also wearing a diaper, and you don’t want to be going out in public, even if you have the choice to because, you know, it's a wound,” Gonzalez Webster said. “That first six weeks is fragile. And that isn’t even including bonding and the pressure of the breastfeeding desires you have.”

The issue doesn’t only affect brokers. Other women in commission-based roles find themselves struggling with the same choices.

Michele Wood, vice president of professional development at Valbridge Property Advisors, said her firm's appraisers work on a commission basis, and those employees don’t have paid maternity leave. 

Wood agrees the situation can be challenging, but she also notes that the flexibility of the position can provide some benefits. Workers can front-load production in anticipation of leave to make up the gap, and there is an opportunity for a gentler reentry, with mothers able to take on fewer assignments or even operate in a support role in lieu of a full-time schedule. 

This working arrangement also allows working from home with full-time or hybrid schedules, making childcare and breastfeeding easier. But brokers, who tend to be in the field most of the time, are less likely to enjoy that benefit, according to Wood. 

As more states adopt laws mandating and providing limited maternity leave policies for all residents, these benefits can be utilized to help contract workers. Wood pointed to a new Minnesota policy that provides residents with paid leave between 50% and 95% of their salary up to 12 weeks. 

Many Valbridge employees live in that state, according to Wood, and one appraiser who is expecting a baby in March plans to take advantage of this benefit when her child arrives. 

California, Colorado, Massachusetts and New York are among other states that offer some maternity leave support for contract workers, according to the Center for American Progress.

Gonzalez Webster suggests that simple, meaningful steps can be taken to rethink the look and layout of a brokerage to support moms, though they don't address the compensation issue.

Adding space for a more private mother’s room would give female employees a better environment for working postpartum and also send the message to every woman that they’re more welcome. When Gonzales Webster was a first-time mom, she remembers pumping in a spare IT room. 

As workers wrestle with their own plans and figure out how to balance work and family, these decisions call into question the balance workers in the industry must maintain. 

“I just cried the whole first day back,” Gonzalez Webster said. “How do I be a mom? I would tell myself there are a lot of moms who have figured this out. There’s a fear about being a parent, for the dads, too; how helpful can they be with their wives if they’re producing, too? On one hand, you know what you’re signing up for when you become a broker. But there are small details that can go a long way.”