With trepidation should you treat women buying property the same asmen. Here Phil Harris from Harris Real Estate highlights the differences and reflects upon some of his own observations.
There is no question that men are from Mars and women are from Venus when it comes to buying a home… but if I had to choose a ruling planet, my vote goes to Venus.
My advice to any agent who doesn’t research and thoroughly understand what women want in a property will do so at their own peril, as they clearly risk alienating a major share of the buying audience.
“Women play a critical role in the purchasing decision and it’s crucial that agents take this into account.”. From a female’s perspective, safety, space and value for money are all major concerns in helping find their next purchase. Throw in a fabulous kitchen, bathrooms that don’t need renovating and safe outdoor space for the kids and you’re a big step closer to a signed contract.
Outdoor living has become increasingly popular … and it’s women who often have an eye for that fabulous space, just right for outdoor entertaining on a balmy night.
In an age where television shows like ‘The Block’ are ratings winners, it’s often also the female buying audience that can look at a home and visualise the transformation that could be just around the corner, transforming that “renovator’s delight” into a home personalised with their unique touch. “No offence to the blokes, but they’re not always the greatest visionaries!”
At open inspections I often notice before the men even step inside the property they’re already looking down the side of the house. They’ve got eyes for what major work may need to be done, long before they’re interested in seeing what shade of beige the carpet is. So it is almost as if men come through looking to find out what’s wrong with the property, whereas women come through the home to see how they can make it work.
Obviously these are generalisations and I’m sure there are some blokes who would take me to task, but from my experience men tend to take a more clinical and commercial focus when they look at property and for women, there’s an emotional attachment around what’s right about the home and how it could embrace family life.
One thing both men and women buyers have in common is the return on investment. A good property in the right area at a reasonable price is always going to be a winner no matter what planet you’re on!
