Post-covid-19, women prefer real estate more than men, finds survey

Women’s preference for real estate has risen post-covid-19—from 57% votes in a pre-covid-19 consumer sentiment survey to 62% in the current edition of the survey by ANAROCK Property Consultants. Their main sentiment drivers include affordability, offers and discounts, and home loan rates.

Women tend to prefer real estate more than men. While 62% of women prefer to invest in real estate, only 54% of men chose it over the stock market, fixed deposits and gold .

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The company had surveyed 3,900 survey participants. Of these, 36% of respondents were women.

Other key findings of the survey are as under:

> At least 82% of women respondents will buy a home for end-use, 18% for investment. In contrast, 68% of men will buy for end-use and 34% for investment.

> Over 70% of women respondents consider this to be an ideal time to buy a property.

> At least 66% of women respondent home seekers will buy within affordable and mid-segment housing (below Rs90 lakh)

> Most women prefer bigger configurations—46% favour 3BHKs while 30% are scouting for 2BHKs. About 10% also looking for 4BHKs.

> The security of physical assets influences 31% of women homebuyers, 28% are attracted by cheaper home loans, and 22% by available offers and discounts.

> While most women preferred properties priced within Rs90 lakh, 5% voted for ultra-luxury real estate priced (Rs2.5 crore)

“The survey reveals that many Indian women now consider housing not just the bedrock of financial security but also essential to diversify their investment portfolios,” said Prashant Thakur, director & head of research, ANAROCK Property Consultants.

According to the survey, women homebuyers prefer ready-to-move-in homes, reflecting a strong aversion to under-construction properties. Nearly 71% of women respondents want to buy ready homes, followed by 11% each for homes that will be available for possession in the next six months and newly-launched projects.

Various government policies support and promote women homeownership in India. For instance, to avail homes under the government’s flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) introduced in 2015, homes have to be mandatorily registered either in a woman’s name, or with women as co-owners. It was done to empower women of the lower-income segments.

Lower stamp duty is another benefit that women enjoy while buying a property. Stamp duty charges are lower if property registration is executed in the name of a woman, although these charges vary from state to state. The exemption for women varies between 1-2% across different states.

To avail of certain tax benefits, a woman can also become the joint owner of a property with her husband and, if she has a separate source of income, both can claim tax deductions individually.