A poll released this week by PRDnationwide shows buying property is a joint decision in 65 per cent of households. Nineteen per cent of respondents said it was the male who made property purchasing decisions, while women account for a close to 16 per cent.
PRDnationwide research director Aaron Maskrey (pictured) said the results were not surprising.
“Choosing what property to buy is a big life decision and it’s much less likely to be left in the hands of one person,” he said. “Therefore real estate agents spend a lot of time trying to attract both partners.
“Since the emergence of online real estate listings – shopping for property has penetrated into people’s daily life,” he added.
PRDnationwide New Farm director Adam Gray said in his experience, the women have the final say when it comes to buying the dream home.
“When purchasing a home to live in, the man may think he has a say in it, but it is the woman who gives the final go ahead,” he said.
“Basically if she doesn’t want it – it will not get purchased. Mr Gray said investment property purchases were a bit different. “As it tends to be more of a financial decision rather than an emotional decision – the person who brings in the most income tends to get more involved,” he said.
The study also investigated what motivated people’s decision to buy an apartment.
Mr Maskrey said nearly half of respondents (44 per cent) felt proximity to the CBD was the most important factor. This was followed by waterfront locality (24 per cent) and outlook (23 per cent).
Surprisingly open green space wasn’t high on buyers’ lists with only 7 per cent considering that important. And least of all was historical significance (2 per cent).
