Real Estate Balance’s 2025 NextGen survey found good progress is being made on issues affecting early career professionals, with fewer instances of inappropriate attitudes and behaviours being witnessed or experienced.
In the organisation’s 2021 and 2023 surveys, 36% of respondents said they witnessed no inappropriate attitudes and behaviours across the eight categories tracked by Real Estate Balance and in 2025 that figure jumped to 53%.
Sexism is the most commonly witnessed/experienced behaviour, but this has fallen from 42% to 29% since 2023.
However, industry-wide progress in widening access to real estate roles – which has shown a continuous positive trend since 2020 – appears to have stalled in 2025.
For the first time, the survey questioned participants about their attitudes towards AI. When asked about the overall impact AI will have on their career prospects, only 13% said they feel pessimistic or very pessimistic, with more than 55% feeling either optimistic or very optimistic.
Some 33% of survey respondents said AI is changing the way they work either significantly or completely, while 83% said they feel fairly or very well prepared to use AI tools.
Sue Brown, managing director of Real Estate Balance, said: “The results are absolutely fascinating – and I’m delighted to say broadly positive. I’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to take part. While AI is clearly not the threat to NextGen it is often presumed to be, it’s also clear that senior leaders need to take it more seriously and carefully consider how their people are using it.
“I was also pleased to see instances of inappropriate behaviour coming down across all categories and an improvement in the way these behaviours are being dealt with. However, we need to keep highlighting the importance of issues like widening access to our industry so we don’t lose momentum.”
Elizabeth Collin, co-chair of Real Estate Balance’s NextGen committee and head of marketing at Davitt Jones Bould, added: “Widening access and tackling barriers to entry is one area we really need to keep our foot on the gas. As an industry, we are responsible for addressing some of today’s most important social and environmental challenges – from the housing crisis and future of our high streets and town centres, to decarbonisation and what to do with green and grey belt land. To ensure decisions are made that reflect and benefit the whole of society, we need to have a diversity of people in post. This data helps us identify where the barriers and blind spots are so we can work together to remove them.”
Jasmine Ceccarelli-Drewry, NextGen committee co-chair and director of place advisory at Avison Young, said: “The results show that AI is providing the kind of ‘check and challenge’ feedback that would previously have come via colleagues in traditional office settings. This could make AI a great equaliser – but there is still uncertainty for how well it is being utilised and understood. While NextGen clearly see the possibilities of AI, the industry needs to be much more proactive and have clear policies on this – leaving its use to peoples’ own discretion simply won’t work and this comes with a considerable level of risk.”
Kevin Boakye, NextGen committee co-chair and talent acquisition and DEI specialist at Hines, added: “The fact that we’ve seen a wholesale reduction in inappropriate attitudes and behaviours since the last survey not only gives me cause for optimism, but reflects the important work that the NextGen committee, Real Estate Balance and our members are doing day in, day out. The results show that together we can make a difference and drive the industry forward. I’m incredibly proud to be part of this important movement.”
More than 460 industry professionals took part in the fourth edition of the survey, which takes place every two years, and researches the experiences of industry professionals aged under 35 or those within the first 10 years of their real estate career.
