Could Property Be the Flexible Career More Mothers Need?

In partnership with AZ Alliance

For many women, returning to work after having children isn't simply about finding another job.

It's about finding work that fits around family life rather than constantly competing with it from the school run and inset days to sick children and family logistics. The reality is that many traditional careers were never designed with these demands in mind.

Increasingly, women are looking for alternatives. Careers that offer greater flexibility, autonomy and the opportunity to build something on their own terms.

It's a conversation property entrepreneur Alisa Zotimova has increasingly found herself having. Founder of AZ Real Estate, one of London's leading independent property agencies, Alisa has spent years building a successful business while challenging some of the more traditional assumptions about how careers in property should work.

Through her latest venture, AZ Alliance, she is focused on helping more people build independent property businesses across the UK. "Many women underestimate how transferable their skills already are," she says.

"Negotiation, communication, relationship building, resilience and organisation. These are all skills that mothers use every single day, and they're also some of the most valuable skills in property."

For many readers, property may not be the first industry that comes to mind when considering a career change. Yet the rise of self-employed and independent agents has quietly transformed the sector.

Rather than working within a traditional agency structure, many agents are now building businesses of their own, working within their local communities while receiving support, training and infrastructure from larger networks.

For women balancing family commitments, that flexibility can be particularly appealing.

According to Alisa, many of the people exploring AZ Alliance aren't necessarily looking for a complete career reinvention. Some are returning after a career break.

Others are stepping away from corporate roles that no longer align with family life. Some already work in property but want a more flexible model that allows them to build a business around their own schedule.

"The traditional route isn't the only route anymore," she explains. "We're seeing more women looking for careers that allow them to be ambitious without sacrificing every other part of their lives."

That shift feels particularly relevant right now.

For years, success was often presented as a singular path. Climb the ladder, work longer hours, keep moving forward. But motherhood has a way of forcing us to reassess what success actually looks like.

For some women, it remains a corporate career they love. For others, it might mean creating something more entrepreneurial, with greater flexibility and ownership.

Neither route is better. The important thing is recognising that there are now more options than ever before.

AZ Alliance is structured around three stages: Start, Build and Elevate. For those completely new to the industry, the entry point is the Property Sales Foundation Course, a £390 online programme covering the fundamentals of residential property sales, client management, negotiation and business development.

Some participants take the course simply to explore whether property could be the right career path for them.

Others use it to deepen their understanding of the residential property sector, develop new skills and gain practical insight into what it takes to build a successful property business.

Selected graduates may be invited to join the wider AZ Alliance network, building their own self-employed property business while benefiting from the support, systems, compliance, technology, mentoring and brand infrastructure that many independent agents struggle to access alone.

It's a model that feels particularly relevant for women seeking greater flexibility, including those returning from maternity leave or looking to build a career around family life rather than fitting family life around a career.

Alongside the course itself, AZ Alliance offers a small number of scholarships each year. The scholarships cover the full £390 course fee and are designed to support individuals facing financial barriers to retraining or returning to work. Five scholarship places are expected to be awarded annually, with applicants invited to explain why the opportunity would make a meaningful difference to their circumstances.

Ultimately, says Alisa, the goal isn't simply to teach property. It's to help people see new possibilities for themselves. "I've met so many talented women who are capable of far more than they realise. Sometimes all they need is a clearer pathway and someone to show them what's possible."

It's a sentiment likely to resonate with many women navigating the sometimes-messy middle ground between motherhood, work and identity.

Because often the biggest challenge isn't capability. It's permission. Permission to start again. Permission to do things differently. Permission to build a career that works for the life you have, rather than the one you imagined ten years ago.

To find out more about the course, scholarship opportunities and independent property careers visit www.azalliance.uk

Mother+ Exclusive Offer

Mother+ readers can receive £100 off the AZ Alliance Property Sales Foundation Course using the code MOTHERPLUS100.

Offer valid until 15 July 2026.