Woman establishes first female-led real estate agency in Erbil

“They [women] can understand each other better as they are more detail-oriented,” Abdul Rahman said.
The all-female staff working in the real estate agency in the Kurdistan Region's Erbil province, Oct. 5, 2021. (Photo: Mina Merduk's agency/Facebook)
The all-female staff working in the real estate agency in the Kurdistan Region's Erbil province, Oct. 5, 2021. (Photo: Mina Merduk's agency/Facebook)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Even though the real estate business is mostly a male-dominated field in the Kurdistan Region, Mina Merduk and three of her female colleagues successfully established and now manage a real estate agency in Erbil.

Merduk and her staff have been operating the business for a year. Their office has a prominently displayed sign that proudly declares it is “The First Real Estate Managed by Women.”

Having previously worked as a real estate agent for two years in Turkey, Merduk says she would like to see more women like herself in the field.

A wallpaper hanged inside the real estate agency to collect signatures of support from both male and female visitors for endorsing women's participate in real estate business, Oct. 5, 2021. (Photo: Screengrab/Kurdistan24)
Collection of supportive signatures from both male and female visitors endorsing women's participation in the real estate business in Mina Merduk's office, Oct. 5, 2021. (Photo: Screengrab/Kurdistan24)

“It is time for women to know that they can do any kind of business, even better than men,” she said.

In addition to diversifying the business’s environment through the participation of women, a female-only real estate is helpful for female customers as well, said Kewsar Abdul Rahman, one of Merduk’s staff.

“They [women] can understand each other better as they are more detail-oriented,” Abdul Rahman said.

Real estate makes up one-third of the Kurdistan Region’s investment portfolio.

Interview conducted by Hero Mawludi