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This series highlights inspiring stories of women who have created successful and sustainable careers in real estate and/or invested in real estate to achieve financial independence, gain lifestyle flexibility, and create lives built on their own terms.
Throughout history, societal norms and legal restrictions have limited women’s access to wealth-building opportunities. It wasn’t until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that women in the U.S. gained the right to own property independently.
The Fair Housing Act of 1968 further advanced women’s rights in real estate, ensuring they could buy, sell, and invest in property without discrimination. Today, real estate stands as a powerful vehicle for women to gain financial independence, build generational wealth, and carve out a life of choice and stability.
Danielle Lurie is a testament to the transformative power of real estate. She began her career as a filmmaker, passionate about human rights and storytelling. Fresh out of Stanford University, she dedicated herself to the arts, believing financial stability was a sacrifice for creative freedom.
After achieving early success — her short film was accepted into Sundance and led to a whirlwind of Hollywood meetings — Lurie soon faced the harsh realities of the entertainment industry’s instability. Just as she secured a major film deal, it fell through when a studio executive was let go, leaving her financially stranded and disillusioned.
Needing a fresh start, Lurie moved to New York City, where her mother, Tamar Lurie, was a top real estate agent on the East Coast, specializing in Greenwich, Connecticut. Despite initial embarrassment about pivoting into real estate, she approached it with an open mind, aiming to make just enough to support her filmmaking dreams.
Lurie calculated that selling three $1 million apartments would bring in around $45,000 — similar to what she had been making in Hollywood through odd jobs. However, her first year far exceeded her expectations. She ended up selling $12 million in property, earning approximately $166,000 — more than three times her initial goal — and receiving Corcoran’s Rookie of the Year award.
To put this in perspective, the median annual salary for women in the United States is approximately $52,260, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, 2023). This means Lurie’s first-year earnings in real estate were more than three times what the average woman earns. This financial leap underscores the potential for real estate to offer women not only a stable income but also a pathway to significant wealth-building (bls.gov).
With no preconceived expectations and an eagerness to learn, she built a strong business by focusing on relationships and strategy. She later founded The Jane Advisory, an all-female real estate team at Compass, with a mission to support women in business.
The Jane Advisory has fluctuated between four and seven members and consistently earns a spot in the top 1.5 percent of all agents nationwide. Through this team, Lurie has been able to share financial opportunities with other women, fostering an environment where they can thrive professionally and achieve their own wealth-building goals.
Additionally, she launched the Women in Real Estate Collective (WIREC), a network for female agents across NYC to collaborate, share insights and uplift one another.
Challenges and triumphs as a woman in real estate
While real estate is often seen as an accessible industry for women, it comes with its unique challenges. One of the most significant hurdles is navigating the emotional and financial stress that comes with guiding clients through major life transitions.
As Lurie explains, real estate sits at the intersection of people’s finances, emotions and relationships, often requiring agents to be both advisors and mediators. Learning to set boundaries, maintain emotional resilience and build a steady client base are crucial skills for long-term success.
Another challenge is financial unpredictability. Unlike traditional salaried jobs, real estate income is commission-based, meaning earnings can fluctuate dramatically. Lurie’s approach has been to embrace the slower periods as opportunities to invest in marketing, personal growth and business strategy — an approach she instills in her team.
Building wealth and expanding opportunities
Real estate has transformed Lurie’s financial reality, taking her from a struggling artist to a successful entrepreneur. Beyond the income from sales, she has learned to invest in her own financial future, diversifying her wealth through investments in the stock market and reinvesting in her business.
Perhaps most significantly, real estate has given her the ability to return to filmmaking — on her own terms. She is currently working on a documentary about motherhood in the U.S., fully funded by her real estate earnings.
Advice for women considering real estate
For women looking to enter the industry, Lurie emphasizes the importance of diligence, creativity, and resilience. While real estate offers incredible financial potential, it demands commitment and hard work. She advises newcomers to embrace the learning curve, build strong relationships and seek mentorship.
More practically speaking, Lurie advises, “Put yourself out there. See everything you can that’s on the market, even if you don’t yet have clients. Go to all the high-end open houses. Believe you belong there. You will be surprised by the ways what you have just seen will come up in conversation soon after with a potential client.”
She also challenges the misconception that real estate is all about homes — it’s about people. Successful agents must understand human behavior, communication and strategy to navigate complex transactions effectively.
The future of women in real estate
Real estate continues to be a powerful avenue for women’s financial empowerment. With relatively low barriers to entry but high standards for success, the industry rewards those who show up with dedication and vision. Lurie sees immense potential for women to support one another, collaborate instead of compete, and create new opportunities for collective success.
Through initiatives like WIREC, she hopes to see more women leveraging real estate not just as a career, but as a wealth-building tool that provides long-term security, flexibility and the freedom to pursue their passions.
As her journey illustrates, real estate is not just about buying and selling properties — it’s about transforming lives, opening doors and redefining what financial independence looks like for women everywhere.
Melanie C. Klein, M.A., is an empowerment and mindset coach.
