Women are becoming increasingly more active as property investors as they take control of their finances and take advantage of lower interest rates.
These days nearly half of all those Australians who own investment property are women, according to an analysis of data from the Australian Tax Office by the Property Council of Australia.
In 2016 alone, out of eight million investors, female investors outperformed males by 0.4 percentage points (40 basis points) over the year, and have outperformed them over the past decade.
The rise of female property investors can be attributed to their increasing interest in taking control of their finances, with their main concern being security in retirement.
This comes as no surprise as the current full-time gender pay gap is 15.3% and the average Australian woman will need to work 12 years longer to have the same amount of superannuation funds as her male counterpart.
Susan Farquhar, managing director of Calla Property, who presented at the Property Buyer Expo last weekend tells us why women are more likely to be better property investors in the long- term.
1. Women do their homework before making a major decision
“There is evidence to suggest that men are risk takers and enticed by ‘get-rich- quick’ schemes, whereas women are more likely to seek
investment advice from professionals who map their financial futures and have a methodical, long-term approach to making money.
Based on our experiences with clients, females understand the extensive research methodology used to evaluate property, interpret and
accept the reasoning behind recommendations provided and then move onto the contract.
In comparison, men generally want to know the next ‘hot spot’ to invest in, leading to sub-optimal decisions.”
2. Seeking lower returns
“Women tend to seek property locations with minimal risk and lower returns, which may result in more sensible decisions as they have
less exposure to market movements.
Essentially they want deeper insights into their properties, so they can make smarter choices and have solid returns from their investments.
This has been reflected with our female clients. In the past 12 months they have been able to get into the market quicker and borrow more, even though lending conditions have been volatile and investment borrowing has been restricted.
Of all of our clients, 34 per cent more women than men have more than two investment properties and the past year has also seen a 36 per cent increase in enquiries from single women.”
3. Women aren’t scared of long-term commitment
“Property investment is for those who are willing to be in it for the long haul as short-term trades are unlikely to produce solid gains. Females are not afraid of committing to a plan and are more disciplined in the long term, which can be accredited to a number of
reasons.
They are less likely to panic in the face of changing market conditions and they won’t second guess initial decisions as much because they do upfront research.
Women also want to focus on life priorities, such as saving and investing for retirement or their child’s college fund, not on outsmarting the market.”
4. Men can be overconfident
“It’s great to be confident as it leads to action and can improve investment outcomes. However, being overconfident can enable someone to believe that they have more control over their investment returns than they actually do.
Men tend to have higher turnover from their property portfolio, meaning they incur extra costs and have a higher chance of buying and selling at the wrong times because they are chasing returns.”
5. Asking for help
“Generally females are more inclined to seek expertise and guidance than males, which can be an advantage in the long run. It’s more
worth it to ask and follow advice first rather than make impulsive and uninformed decisions which can lead to mistakes.”
