Are Female Investors in Atlanta Treated Fairly?

Question

Hi BP!I've been a member of the site a little while now, and I've been networking, reading forums, listening to podcasts, reading books and sitting on webinars in an effort to learn as much as I can before I pull the trigger. I have learned so much already, but I am interested in hearing thoughts/advice from a female point of view (sorry guys, lol....I am not being discriminatory, I just know that females in the investment world are regarded differently than men, unfortunate as that is). I am just starting out myself but have already noticed subtle differences in treatment being that I'm female. Are there any female investors (particularly in the Atlanta area...but I'd be happy to get insight from anyone, no matter your gender or geographical location) that can shed some light on how you are treated, whether it be fair or unfair as well as any tips you have on getting other investors and members of the real estate community to take you as seriously as one of the guys?

Sheree H. · Answer

This post made me smile. :) I saw a couple of your other posts also about getting started. I was you a couple years ago, and I feel you.I was my own biggest discriminator, and I sought out women investors for advice and help. Most were either too busy or too expensive for me, but the main point I heard from them all was - take responsibility for yourself and your future, NOW. It's never too late.What's ironic was that the most sexist comment I received when starting out was from a woman, who told me to stay home and take care of the kids.Just pull that trigger! As long as your numbers work and you're working toward your goal, that's all that matters. What others think, if you're one if the guys or treated fairly, really doesn't matter as long as they do their job well. Don't let it bother you. If someone calls you Baby Girl, or hits on you, or ignores your input in favor of a man's... Ask sweetly for a hand with the trash. And then fire them and hire someone else if you want. You're the boss.Why do you want to be one of the guys? One of my goals was to learn how to be in this business, and make my business work for me, as a woman and a mother. Know your constraints and work with them. I don't want to be a man nor work like one, although I do love going into crawlspaces and attics. I started two flip rehabs when I was six months pregnant, one with a partner and one on my own, and completed both before I had my baby. There were a lot of difficult moments, but it was fun using it to my advantage - my contractors didn't need much pressure to stay on the timeline because they were all scared I'd have my baby on their clock.If someone takes advantage of you, it's because you're new. And maybe because you're in Atlanta, HA. Not because you're a woman. Men are getting taken left and right in this business too. Own your mistakes, learn from it, and keep going.I think I might have just set the feminist movement back 50 years!

Jay Hinrichs · Answer

@Tye Brooks hope Men can respond also to this.Women Dominate Real Estate sales in Most markets..I see no distinction between men and women in my work world.I fund Female rehabbers and males.. I do find that more males are in the rehab businesshowever a majority of my resale agents are women. Including my wife who list all of my properties LOL..from my perspective I would not even give it a second thought go do your thing.I had a transaction last year with a very competent female agent in your market and she posts on BP.. she took a fairly goofed up transaction jumped into the middle of it and did a great job.. I think she did a better job than a man could have frankly.

Michaela G. · Answer

I think it all evens out in the end. Sure, there'll be subs that automatically assume that they can rip you off, because you're a woman and then there'll be seller, who'll automatically let their guard down easier, because you're a woman. There'll be subs that get a crush on you, because you're a woman and that can create a 'walking on eggshell' situation for you and there're subs that will bend over backwards for you, because they're so impressed with the way you handle things, 'even though you're a woman'.You can either pick apart those moments, where it was disadvantageous to be a woman or you can look at the big picture and see it all sort of balancing out in the long run. Just be who you are and respect others and be honest.

Tye Brooks · Answer

@Michaela G. Thank you so much for your input. I completely understand what you're saying that it all has it's way of working out and being even in the end. That's definitely a more positive way of looking at it!@Jay Hinrichs Of course your thoughts are welcomed as well! Maybe you are right that I shouldn't even acknowledge it. That way it won't have as much of an impact on the decisions I make. Thank you so much everyone for sharing your thoughts and experiences. It has really helped!

Linval T. · Answer

@Tye Brooks- Interestingly enough a while ago I listened to podcast 029 by @Dawn Anstasi and she addressed this very issue extremely well. The main details of the podcast and link are below.https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2013/08/0...Working with Family and FriendsInvesting in Real Estate from a Woman’s PerspectiveDealing with Difficult ContractorsHow to Find Houses for Between $20,000 – $30,000Financing Real Estate Through Peer-to-Peer FundingBuying Long Distance PropertiesWhy Single Family Rentals RockFinding Partners on BiggerPockets

Ludmila M. · Answer

This is a great topic, and I was wondering about the same thing myself. Thank you for starting this discussion! I keep hoping that one day there will be a podcast on this topic.

Tye Brooks · Answer

@Sheree Hsu Thank you so much for your feedback! I appreciate it. I definitely have been a witness to women being more discriminatory and "catty" against each other than any man will, so I definitely agree with you on that. It's not that I want to be one of the guys. I just don't want to be at a disadvantage before I even make a move purely based on my gender. But I do see what you're saying. If you have the "boss" mentality, you will be more respected than someone who is timid. Being timid or apprehensive has never been an issue for me, I've always been the "no nonsense" type when it comes to business matters. It's good to get some feedback from someone who understands. Thank you so much!