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Ask the Expert: Gemma Burgess on Diversifying Real Estate By Debra Hazel
I
t’s no secret that real estate is an in-
We helped them set up their first diversity
dustry that’s slow to change — and
initiative, where organizations could sign to
that includes diversifying its members
help promote ethnicity across the industry.
in terms of race, ethnicity and gender
In gender, we’re making good steps forward.
to better reflect the world at large. But diver-
There are still areas in seniority that we lack
sity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is finally an
— often, when people have families, they
issue that’s coming to the forefront, one that
leave. Sometimes they come back, some-
Gemma Burgess, newly promoted president
times they don’t. Ethnicity is getting up there.
of global talent management firm Ferguson
But there are other things, [such as] the LG-
Partners is determined to pursue.
BTQ+ conversation. For me, a part is income diversity, bringing people into the industry who aren’t rich kids whose families were also
Burgess joined Ferguson Partners in 2007 and has developed a global acumen, origi-
Gemma Burgess
in real estate. If you grow up in a less affluent neighborhood, you might not even know
nally based in the firm’s London office, and then transitioning to oversee its New York
see that on public company boards. Across
City office before taking on responsibility
organizations, it would be very unusual to find
for the U.S. search business and then, most
organizations without women leadership at
Even for us at Ferguson Partners, this is the
recently, the global search business. Burgess
all. The interesting thing is how we continue to
first year we’ve set up our own analysts pro-
was responsible for creating the inaugural
evolve that conversation.
gram. We’ve done recruiting from community
what a career could look like in real estate.
colleges in Chicago to get those kids who
diversity partnership in 2020 with the Real Estate Executive Council (REEC); she contin-
We’ve been very focused on ethnicity diversity
didn’t grow up with an Ivy League education
ues to be an active participant with the asso-
across the U.S. Even as we’ve started to make
and need an opportunity to grow and build
ciation. Below, she talks about the growing
great progress on the gender piece, for me it was
their career, and don’t look like I do.
attention being paid to DEI. The conversation
really shocking how white the real estate industry
has been edited for clarity and length.
is and continues to be. I’ve personally made it a
At this point, the industry has no choice but to
mission to see what we could do to help with the
evolve. And the things that motivate people
Has the real estate industry had the wake-
ethnicity piece. We got introduced to REEC [Real
today are very different from two years ago and
up call regarding DEI?
Estate Executive Council] and I went to its spring
very different from 20 years ago. People don’t
We’re doing better than we were previously. In
conference five years ago. I was probably one
want to stay at the same job for life. Kids want
the 15 years I’ve served the real estate industry
of the only white people in the room, and it was
to trade jobs every two years, and rightly so;
on a global basis, there’s a lot more gender di-
awesome to sit and hear the programming and to
they want different experiences and different
versity than there used to be. You can certainly
be part of the process.
things. The industry has to get its arms around
52 MANN REPORT | JUNE & JULY 2022
