The Home Guyz & OttawaRealEstate.ca Celebrate International Women’s Day & Chat with Team Member Shaunna McIntosh
On this International Women’s Day, March 8th - The Home Guyz Team wanted to take the opportunity to acknowledge the accomplishments, dedication and hard work of the women on our team who help shape our business. We recognize that real estate is a male dominated field and although women are making headway, it’s no secret that women face more systemic barriers than their male counterparts. We are spending time in 2021 to listen, and work towards gender parity. Today we want to highlight Shaunna McIntosh, one of the Home Guyz top team members, to hear her experiences with being an agent and her thoughts on International Women’s Day.
Shaunna specializes in the purchase and sale of residential and investment properties, she has set herself apart in Ottawa’s competitive real estate field through her unrivaled work ethic, meticulous attention to detail, and honesty. Shaunna’s success stems from her client-focused approach and her unique ability to grasp her client’s needs and vision for the purchase or sale of their home.
A natural firm negotiator, Shaunna strives to exceed client expectations. She is experienced in working with new buyers and sellers, and seasoned real-estate investors.
What does International’s Women's Day mean to you?
To me, International Women’s Day has a dual meaning. First and foremost, it’s an opportunity to celebrate the significant political, social, and economic advancements of women worldwide. At the same time, it also affords us an opportunity to reflect on ongoing gender inequality. In other words, International Women’s Day is an annual reminder of how far we’ve come, but also an opportunity to recognize how far we have yet to go. On a personal level, International Women’s Day acts as a reminder for me to reach out and connect with the amazing women in my life - my female friends, family, and colleagues.
Shaunna was working towards a neuroscience degree when she started investing in rental properties, although she had always loved real estate it was at this point that she knew it was a career path that seemed more appealing to her. She became hooked on the industry and has never looked back.
Many factors led me to become a real estate agent. First and foremost, I’ve always loved real estate. I began investing in rental properties before I became an agent and found that I enjoyed the process so much that I wanted to help others purchase and sell their homes. Beyond this, I chose to become an agent as I love the flexibility and diversity of experiences that this career affords. I really enjoy the fact that every day is different and that I have the opportunity to meet and engage with new clients regularly.
The Home Guyz Team agrees that a career in Real Estate is an excellent career path for women. We have diverse clients and our team should reflect that. But in Ontario the demographics of female real estate agents is still lower than that of men. We asked Shaunna her thoughts on why that may be, given that the industry allows for such flexibility and success for women?
My sense is that many women may not be aware of the benefits of a career in real estate and the flexibility that this career affords. I would certainly encourage more women to consider a career in real estate.
We couldn’t agree more with Shaunna’s thoughts. More women need to consider real estate as an option. Real estate is a challenging and rewarding career. It keeps you constantly learning new skills, pushing yourself forward, setting goals, and keeps you tightly involved in the community all while having the ability to manage your own time. The attributes that are needed for a successful career in real estate often come naturally to women, making them very successful agents.
We asked, you started as a property investor which led to becoming an agent. In your time as an agent, have you seen an increase in the amount of female property investors? If not, why do you think that is?
While I haven’t personally noticed an increase in the number of female property investors in my time as an agent, statistics from the United States show that single women are purchasing homes in record numbers and at twice the rate of single men. While comparable surveys don’t exist in Canada, previously released data from Statistics Canada shows us that residential property ownership, in general, tends to be evenly distributed between men and women. Ultimately, I’ll be interested to see if the trends observed in the US translate to the Canadian market.
Traditionally homeownership was something couples did after marriage. With more women putting their careers first, deciding not to marry, and having more financial independence than ever before, homeownership is no longer seen as a step after marriage; but as an excellent investment and a way to secure a strong financial future. Like Shaunna, we hope to see the ratio change further in Canada also. When women participate equally in the economy, it grows. When women participate equally in business (especially in a leadership capacity) the organization performs higher in all aspects of organizational performance.
The theme of International Women’s Day is #ChooseToChallenge, and that is certainly what The Home Guyz are planning on doing in 2021, we will celebrate women’s achievements, take action in moving towards equality, and challenge bias (including our own!)
The Home Guyz Team w/Solid Rock Realty
