65% women prefer investing in real estate, 20% stocks, 8% gold: Survey

Sixty-five per cent women prefer to invest in real estate, 20 per cent in stocks and only 8 per cent of them in gold, according to a survey conducted by real estate consultant Anarock.

The sample size of the consumer survey was 5,500, out of which 50 per cent respondents were women. The survey found that at least 65 per cent women respondents prefer to invest in real estate, followed by 20 per cent who favour tapping the stock markets.

Just 8 per cent of women respondents favour gold, and 7 per cent prefer FDs (fixed deposits), the report said. Among other findings, Anarock said that 83 per cent of women respondents are looking at homes priced above ₹45 lakh.

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“The ₹45-90 lakh budget range is the sweet spot for 36 per cent of women home seekers, and 27 per cent prefer premium homes priced from ₹90 lakh to ₹1.5 crore. 20 per cent prefer luxury homes priced more than ₹1.5 crore,” Anarock said.

Affordable homes priced under ₹45 lakh are the least preferred.

Santhosh Kumar, vice-chairman, Anarock Group, said, “Over the last decade, women have emerged as a major residential real estate buyer segment, especially in the urban centres.”
Their preferences are also distinctly shaping newer trends – from bigger homes, ready-to-move properties to specific budgets, they know exactly what they want, he said.

“And, like millennials, their preferences now influence the supply that developers put on the market,” Kumar said. More women are now also buying property for investment.

As per the survey, the ratio of women buying properties for end-use and investment has changed from the previous survey. It now stands at 77:23, whereas it was previously 82:18. Anarock also noted that there are many benefits Indian women can avail by buying and registering properties in their names.

Various government policies support and promote women home ownership in India. 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 a woman as co-owner.

“Lower stamp duty is another benefit women homebuyers enjoy,” Anarock said.
Stamp duty charges are lower in many states, if the property is registered in a woman’s name.

Many banks offer discounted home loan rates to women as compared to men. 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, the consultant said.