Rosemary Silver

Meet Rosemary Silver

What is your role at Avison Young?

I am a chartered building surveyor and work in the Building Consultancy department.

How did you get into commercial real estate?

I studied history at University College London. In the holidays I assisted my mother on the conversion of a house into 4 flats, as she was an interior designer. That that led me to consider a career as an architect, and then building surveying, which is the career I chose.

Who has been the most influential woman in your life?

My mother, who first studied French and Spanish at the University of Geneva and then studied fine art in London before changing to study interior design. She was a great role model to me.

What advice would you give women starting out in real estate?

In the U.K. women make up 11% of the property and construction industries. Only 15% of chartered surveyors in the RICS are female, and women make up just 8% of the chartered building surveyors. I advise women to reach out to other women, as we are a minority and we don't always network the same way as men do. I have benefitted hugely by my women's networks, and hope I can give back by mentoring younger women.

This year's IWD theme is Choose to Challenge. What do you choose to challenge or celebrate to help create more inclusion in your community?

I choose to challenge my professional organisation the RICS, to become more inclusive. In 2019 I organised the first conference for 200 women in the RICS via the National Association of Women in Construction. The RICS is the only UK property association with no women's network, and I choose to challenge that and change it as we have a new female president.

What women’s organizations would you recommend other women get involved with?

The National Association of Women in Construction- NAWIC. It began in Texas in the 1950's and is in the UK too.