From interior design to architecture and homeownership, women are dominating the home industry.
By Gianni Zorrilla, Illustration by Jessica Wetterer
63 Percent
According to the National Association of Realtors, the majority—roughly 63 percent—of today’s Realtors are women. Female real-estate agents started their own Women’s Council of Realtors in 1938 after being shut out from other real- estate boards. Today, the Women’s Council of Realtors boasts 12,000 members, and the average member’s income from real estate exceeds $134,000 per year.
11.4 Million Followers
Joanna Gaines of Magnolia Market and Fixer Upper fame, among other successful ventures, is the most popular interior designer on Instagram, with more than 11.4 million followers. With fame, success and aesthetically pleasing social-media pages come a hefty income, with Gaines’ estimated net worth between $5 million and $9 million.
1st Female Designer
The first documented commercial interior decorator, Dorothy Draper established her design firm way back in 1923. Two years later, Draper, known for her quip, “If it looks right, it is right,” started Architectural Clearing House, which eventually became known as Dorothy Draper & Company. Though the designer died in 1969, her firm still adheres to “the Draper touch,” for which she was much celebrated.
2017
The Austin chapter of the American Institute of Architects added our favorite committee, Women in Architecture, in 2017. Its mission is to “promote, validate and illuminate the role of women within the architectural field through fostering community, fellowship, education and outreach.” As we’ve long known, you can’t keep good women down!
18 Million Homeowners
There are some 18,057,000 female homeowners in the United States, according to 2014 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Approximately 10 million of these homeowning women live alone, with trends showing more single women purchase homes than single men, though single men’s homes are generally worth about 10 percent more than homes owned by single women.