Gold loses lustre as women prefer investing in real estate, shows survey

Women in India are increasingly favouring investing in real estate compared to other avenues. A recent survey by Anarock property consultants found that 65% of women homebuyers prefer to invest in real estate, followed by 20% favouring the stock market. Just 8% of women respondents prefer investing in gold and 7% prefer FDs.

The survey revealed that 77% of women homebuyers buy homes for end-use, while 23% buy for investment. This is a shift from the previous survey, which showed that 82% of women bought homes for end-use, and 18% for investment.

The survey also shows that 83% of the women respondents were looking for homes priced above Rs 45 lakh. The sweet spot for 36% of women home seekers is the Rs 45-90 lakh budget range, while 27% prefer premium homes priced between Rs 90 lakh and Rs 1.5 Cr, and 20% prefer luxury homes priced above Rs 1.5 Cr. 

There are several benefits that Indian women can avail of while buying real estate. This includes: 

1. To avail homes under the government’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY), homes have to be registered either in a woman’s name or with a woman as co-owner. 
2. Lower stamp duty: Stamp duty charges are lower if the property is registered in a woman's name. However, this benefit varies from state to state. 
3. Many banks offer a lower interest rate for home loans to women.