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This series highlights inspiring stories of women who have created successful and sustainable careers in real estate and/or invested in real estate to achieve financial independence, gain lifestyle flexibility, and create lives built on their own terms.
Historically, women have faced numerous barriers when it comes to property ownership and wealth accumulation. For much of history, laws in many countries, including the United States, did not allow women to own property in their own right.
Women’s financial autonomy was limited by their legal status as dependents of their fathers or husbands. In the U.S., it wasn’t until the 19th and early 20th centuries that married women were allowed to own property under the law. Even after property ownership became legally accessible, women still faced significant social and financial hurdles.
However, as societal norms evolved and women gained legal rights to property ownership, their role in shaping the real estate landscape grew. Today, women are making tremendous strides in real estate, both as homeowners and investors. According to the National Association of Realtors, women make up 65 percent of the homebuying market and female homeowners are projected to continue outpacing their male counterparts in the coming years. This shift marks an empowering change, as real estate continues to provide women with valuable opportunities to achieve financial independence, wealth and freedom.
Courtney Smith combined her penchant for operations and love for strategy, finance and design and turned it into a successful business. She built a real estate team which sold over 1,500 homes during her tenure before selling the team in 2019. After a year coaching female entrepreneurs across industries she joined Compass, the largest residential real estate brokerage in the U.S. by sales volume, where she serves as a real estate coach and strategic adviser.
Her story illustrates how both investments and careers in real estate can offer women greater opportunities and choices in life — helping them unlock doors to possibilities once considered out of reach.
Smith’s path to real estate was not one she initially set out to pursue. Growing up in a working-class family, she was encouraged to be prudent with money and career choices, but her entrepreneurial spirit emerged early. From babysitting and piano teaching gigs to retail and service jobs, Smith learned the value of hard work, value articulation and negotiation.
Her college years at the University of Southern California were marked by a dual-major workload, multiple jobs and a relentless side hustle mentality. She cultivated a deep interest in learning from each person she encountered and growing her skills with each opportunity that came her way.
Her first career was in the film industry, where she worked her way up from intern to executive roles in development and production. Yet it was the world of real estate that truly captivated her. Smith’s initial entry into real estate came through homeownership. She purchased a small one-bedroom condo in Los Angeles in her early 20s, guided by the timeless adage “location, location, location.”
It was there that she first realized the potential of real estate as a wealth-building tool—her capital gains from the sale of the condo allowed her to reinvest in a more substantial property. Smith’s fascination with real estate deepened during the process of buying and selling properties. What she discovered was that with real estate, she could make more money fixing up a property than she had earned in a year of employment. This revelation set the stage for her eventual transition into full-time real estate.
Building wealth through strategic investment
One of the most powerful takeaways from Smith’s journey is her focus on investing in real estate as a means of achieving wealth and freedom. After her initial renovation successes, she began to shift her mindset. She understood that owning multi-family properties could help cover expenses by renting out units, creating passive income and giving her the ability to reinvest that revenue into additional properties. Smith’s savvy approach to real estate investment led her to acquire residential rentals, commercial buildings and mixed-use properties across five states.
Leverage, she explains, is another critical aspect of building wealth. By using other people’s money — through mortgages and other financing options — she was able to grow her wealth exponentially without risking her own hard-earned savings.
She notes that leverage also requires discipline and patience. The journey to wealth is not instantaneous. It involves delaying gratification and making strategic decisions in the earlier stages of wealth accumulation to ensure long-term rewards.
Advisory plays an essential role in this process, as well. Smith credits much of her success to the coaches, advisors and mentors who have helped her navigate her career and investments. She encourages women to surround oneself with a strong network of experts. This guidance is key to sustaining growth and achieving long-term goals.
Empowering women in real estate
Smith’s success is not just a testament to her strategic mind; it’s also a reflection of her unwavering belief in the power of women supporting women. She shares invaluable advice for women looking to grow their wealth and invest in real estate:
- Stop saying you’re not good at math: Smith emphasizes how often women underestimate their ability to manage money. The truth is, men rarely say this about themselves, so why should women? Financial literacy and confidence are essential for success in real estate.
- Increase your social capital: Building strong relationships is key in any career, and real estate is no different. Networking and getting into the right rooms can help women elevate their careers and investments.
- Celebrate other women’s success: The world needs fewer jealous competitors and more women lifting each other up. When you celebrate the success of others, you pave the way for your own achievements.
- Minimize the gender divide by talking about money: Women often shy away from discussing financial matters, but Smith encourages open conversations about wealth and investment strategies. The more we talk about money, the more we can empower ourselves to take control of our financial futures.
Smith also points to the critical need for companies of all sizes to reduce bias in evaluation and hiring practices, as well as for venture capitalists and funding sources to invest in women entrepreneurs at the same level as their male counterparts. She believes the next generation of women will be the ones to break through these barriers, ushering in a more inclusive and equitable future for all.
Looking to the future
Smith’s vision for the future of women in real estate is bright. She sees the growing number of women homeowners and female leaders in the industry as positive signs of progress. As women continue to break into leadership roles and build wealth through real estate, the industry will become more inclusive, offering financial opportunities to women of all backgrounds.
By embracing real estate as a means of building wealth, women can secure their financial futures, make their own choices and open doors to a world of opportunity. As more women like Smith continue to rise and pave the way, the landscape of real estate — and of wealth itself — will be forever transformed.
In Smith’s own words, “The shift is happening. It’s going to be magic.”
Melanie C. Klein, M.A., is an empowerment and mindset coach.
