THE problem
Problem
Women have historically faced systemic barriers to success in the commercial real estate (CRE) industry—barriers that are magnified for women of color. These include:
- Lack of pay parity – The CREW Network’s 2020 Benchmark Study found a 34% overall earnings gap between men and women in the industry, up 11% since 2015. Commissions and bonuses for women are 55.9% lower than for men, with even greater disparities for women of color.
- Limited access to financing – According to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency, minority-owned firms are less likely to be approved for loans and, when approved, receive smaller amounts at higher interest rates.
- Restricted access to venture capital – In 2024, female-only founding teams received just 2.3% of global VC funding ($6.7B of $289B). Women-led startups represented 6.4% of deals but received only 2.3% of capital, with average deal sizes less than half of male-only teams.
These inequities have left many capable women developers without the resources to move projects from concept to completion.
WSDI’s mission is to change that. We work to:
- Provide funding for pre-development activities – removing early-stage financial barriers that often prevent women from advancing their projects.
- Prepare women to secure permanent financing – through technical assistance, mentorship, and project readiness support.
- Connect women developers to a broad network of funders – including those committed to financing women-led and community-focused developments.
- Support a culture of investment in women founders – by building visibility, credibility, and market access for women in real estate development.
By addressing both the capital gap and the connection gap, WSDI positions women developers to deliver neighborhood-scale real estate projects that build wealth, create jobs, and strengthen communities.
References: CREW Network (2015 & 2020), U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency, Crunchbase, Female Founders Fund, Forbes Finance Council.