As President of CREW Network, I am honored to represent an organization whose goal is to advance the success of women in commercial real estate, but I am even more proud that our Network has led the way to pioneering research that not only helps to more tangibly monitor the trends we note anecdotally, but also to debunk the misperceptions that are so prevalent in the real estate workplace.

The groundbreaking survey CREW Network conducted in 2005, “Women in Commercial Real Estate” was the first study of its kind to provide a true benchmark that answers industry questions which had long gone unanswered. During the last five years, women have gained notable success on the national stage, including holding positions as Secretary of State, Speaker of the House, being nominated for Supreme Court Justice and candidate for vice president, however many barriers still exist in the field of commercial real estate.

CREW Network’s follow-up study, which will be released at the association’s convention and marketplace in October, will highlight the progress that has been made during the last five years, as well as illustrate the ways in which we can drive positive change in our workplaces. For example, we have learned that compensation has trended toward a higher weighting of base salary, but that a major gap still exists between men and women’s salaries, regardless of age or experience.

It’s important to track trends and make true measures of best practices and identify whether perceptions are in fact the reality. I hope you will join me in San Francisco this fall to learn about how the newest report can be used as a tool to further all of us as we continue our advancement of women in the complicated field of commercial real estate.

Kristin Blount is the 2010 President of CREW Network and Senior Vice President, Brokerage, at Colliers, Meredith & Grew in Boston
For more information about CREW Network, visit http://www.crewnetwork.org