More women are buying homes than men

DURBAN – According to the Lightstone Property Research Group, which reports that every quarter from Jan.

The latest report shows that from 2019 to the second quarter of 2021, “only female shoppers account for between 22% and 23% of all referrals from private individuals, and when combined with joint purchases by men and women, the number rises to 49-50%. . “.

Adrian Goslett, Regional Director and Chief Executive of RE / MAX of Southern Africa, agreed and said the trend was not a surprise.

“Over 60% of the traffic on remax.co.za is female. Our partners at BetterBond also report that 41% of their customers were female in 2020. Overall, 38% of BetterBond customers were married and 43% single. It shows that women, both married and unmarried, tend to be the driving forces behind real estate buying decisions, ”said Goslett.

Goslett said it was encouraging to see many women making the sacrifices necessary to ensure they can afford to buy real estate.

“For most South Africans, buying a home is not an easy task. It takes careful planning and budgeting to make sure you can afford this purchase, ”he said.

Still, owning real estate is of great value, said Goslett: “Real estate is such an important aspect of future prosperity and financial security – especially for those who live on a single income.”

“Having a value-adding asset in your own name offers so many opportunities to improve your financial standing, whether by renting the space for rental income, selling the home to enjoy the profits, or accessing more affordable financing through an access credit facility, or having the household item as collateral when applying for credit.

“While there are risks associated with each of these scenarios, the advice of trusted professionals – such as real estate agents, financial advisors and bond issuers – can help mitigate risk and maximize potential returns,” said Goslett.

THE MERCURY