Why women dominate real estate purchases

“Women have long been recognised as the important decision-maker when it comes to selecting a home,” said Anjee Hopton, national marketing manager at Raine & Horne.

To make sense of the findings, Ms Hopton turned to her colleague Jane Schumann from Raine & Horne Double Bay.

“Jane has several theories on why women may dominate real estate decision-making,” Ms Hopton said.

“She explained, ‘Particularly if it is a family where the wife chooses to stay at home to look after kids, she’ll be spending a lot of time in the property. So, she wants to live in a home that is as pleasant as possible.’

“Many women will take an interest in the kitchen too, Jane added: ‘In my experience, plenty of women prefer big bedrooms and bathrooms.’”

Ms Hopton said proximity to a school or childcare centre is a key factor in the decision-making process by many women, particularly working mothers.

“Security can be more important to women than men, particularly alarms and video intercoms. The intercoms are popular not only for security but also to monitor who enters and leaves the property,” she added.

“Storage is another essential issue for female buyers, [according to Jane, who said,] ‘Depending on the price of the property, many women like a walk-in robe and dressing rooms.’”