By Gender equality is the principle that ‘everyone should have the same opportunities and rights, regardless of gender’.
Throughout history, women have had to fight for change in many aspects of society and faced many more challenges, including when it comes to property ownership and leadership within the property industry. Thankfully, due to changes in legislation and shifting cultural attitudes, we live in a time where these challenges are less detrimental than they were in the past. However, there is still much work to be done to establish stronger foundations and empower women in the property industry, ensuring even progress. Highlighting women’s journeys and amplifying the voices of leading women in property allows us to do this.
A Shifting Landscape
Historically, property ownership in the UK was largely restricted to men. Under coverture laws, married women had no legal rights to own property independently until the Married Women’s Property Acts of 1870 and 1882, which allowed them to control their earnings and own property. The Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 marked another milestone, granting women equal rights in employment and professional advancement, including within the property sector.
Now, let’s look at the current statistics for the role of women in property—an impressive achievement considering these historical challenges. According to the Government’s latest English Private Landlord Survey (2024), ‘55% of landlords identified as male, while 44% identified as female. Even more interestingly, female landlords were more likely than their male counterparts to own a single property—55% of those owning just one property were female, compared to 45% who were male’. A stark contrast to the past and rightfully so.
Marking International Women’s Day 2025
To celebrate the role of women in property, the National Landlord Investment Show (NLIS) is proud to host the Women in Property Panel on Wednesday, 19 March 2025, at Old Billingsgate, London. This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Accelerate Action,” reflects the panel’s focus on how women are driving change and shaping the future of property investment. Our esteemed and expert panellists will share their successes, journeys, challenges, and strategies for success in an evolving industry. The panel will be hosted and facilitated by the National Landlord Investment Show’s (NLIS) very own female co-founder and director Tracey Hanbury who is an influential figure in the UK property investment sector, with over a decade of experience connecting landlords, investors, and industry professionals. Alongside her husband Steve Hanbury, she has built the UK’s No. 1 property and investment exhibition show for landlords, offering expert-led exhibitions, networking opportunities, and an educational platform.
With a background in media, sales, and events, Tracey identified a niche in the market for a dedicated space where landlords and property professionals can connect. Prior to launching the shows, Tracey and her husband Steve Hanbury as young landlords and property investors themselves found it challenging to access the resources, service providers and education to run their property portfolio which initiated the idea to launch the first National Landlord Investment on 16 march 2013 in Croydon. She continues to work to run and grow the family-run property portfolio alongside heading NLIS.
Since launching NLIS in 2013, she has expanded her influence through the growing brand LIS Media, which includes Landlord Investor (LI) Magazine, Property Notify, the annual LIS Awards, LIS Live Lounge, Talk Property, and Landlord Investor Hour. This brand continues to evolve, grow and expand as the UK Property News Channel is the newest addition to this brand serving the industry with breaking news and critical conversations about the UK Property sector. Tracey is a strong advocate for education, collaboration, and innovation in the property industry, championing women in a traditionally male-dominated sector and applies this advocacy across all her brands and leadership.
Meet the Panel
Hayley Andrews – Award-winning property investor, developer, and entrepreneur
Hayley Andrews is an award-winning property investor, developer, and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in the property industry. Recognised as one of the UK’s most inspirational female entrepreneurs, she has built a strong reputation for her expertise in strategic property investment and development. She is the CEO of multiple businesses and a large portfolio landlord, managing a diverse range of properties across the UK. Her industry knowledge and experience have made her a sought-after speaker and a regular property expert on SKY TV. She is also an Angel investor on the hit SKY TV show Property Elevator – often referred to as Dragons’ Den for property developers. Hayley is commended for her work with women in business and property and is the founder of Hard Hats to Heels, an award-winning female networking group dedicated to supporting and inspiring women in the industry. Beyond her professional achievements, Hayley is passionate about restoring historic buildings and contributing to local communities, ensuring that property investment creates a positive and lasting impact.
Amy Schofield – Auction Sales Director, Together
Amy has over 10 years’ experience in the financial services sector having started her career at one of the UK’s largest high-street banks initially in mortgage lending and moving into Private Banking. Amy’s experience in lending, together with her passion for property took her career into the specialist lending sector and to industry giant Together. To date, Amy remains with Together and has become well-established in her position, playing such an integral part in the impressive growth of the groups lending channel through her vast network of Auction contacts. Amy takes pride in building valuable, long-term client relationships – supporting their journey through fast common sense lending decisions.
Louise Reynolds – Director of Property Venture, Landlord, Investor, and Developer
Louise is a Surrey-based, landlord and developer who helps others make better quality property and wealth-building choices. She is naturally risk-averse, so de-risking is at the heart of what she does, both for her own investments and for those of her clients. Known as the Prudent Property investor, she has developed techniques to overcome a fear of risk-taking, so that she can move forwards and not be frozen by fear. Louise is an experienced and seasoned professional with over 2 decades’ worth of business experience before she started her property journey in 2007. She started her career in brand marketing, then moved to financial services and Management Consultancy. She has worked with global brands and companies like Heinz, Reckitt Benckiser, Diageo, Krug Champagne as well as UK-based organisations like The London Stock Exchange and Nationwide Building Society. She also has a decades’ worth of Advisory Board experience, having sat on the Advisory Board of the Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP). She is a Chartered Marketer and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. This combined with her business background helped her business win an Award for Best Boutique Property Business.
Suzanne Smith – The Independent Landlord
Suzanne Smith is the founder of The Independent Landlord, a website and YouTube channel providing reliable, free resources for landlords, letting agents and property businesses. The Independent Landlord has grown into one of the leading resources in the PRS, with over 8,000 subscribing to Suzanne’s weekly newsletter. A former corporate lawyer, Suzanne transitioned to property investment after a 25-year career in senior in-house legal roles for multinational life sciences companies. Now a self-managing landlord with a property portfolio in Kent, she combines legal expertise with hands-on experience. Suzanne also serves as an independent member of Propertymark’s disciplinary tribunal and provides consultancy services for businesses in the PRS.
Conclusion: Laying Stronger Foundations
So in conclusion, Women are not just participating and leading in property; they are leading its transformation—brick by brick, building from the ground up and accelerating action. As more women rise in the industry, we need to continue to highlight women’s journeys and amplifying their voices, we can drive meaningful change—because representation, visibility, and action are key to shaping a more inclusive future for the Property Sector. Get your free tickets here for the National Landlord Investment Show on 19th March at Old Billingsgate, London to join the Women in Property Panel: Building from the ground up alongside a full day of education with 50+ seminars and networking opportunities with 100+ property service providers.
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