​Women Investors are Shaking Up Real Estate

Not too long ago, real estate investment was mostly a man’s game. It was a good ol’ boys club of savvy businessmen who made the deals and called the shots while the ladies watched from the sidelines - if they watched at all. But my, how times have changed. In the last few years, more women than ever before are getting into real estate investment, and they’re now the ones behind some of the most profitable transactions being made.

So what caused this shift, anyway? A knee-jerk response might be to say it’s all because of women’s lib or the feminist movement, but I believe it goes deeper than that. I think 3 specific items are responsible for this wave of female empowerment that’s centered on property investment.

For one, the economy is primed for just about anyone - men and women alike - to find success in real estate. After the housing bubble burst in the mid-2000s (and wiped a ton of investors out, I might add), the inevitable rebound that occurred a few years later has created the perfect scenario to win big in real estate. Men and women both profited from this, but I believe that many of the women who were left reeling by the economic downturn decided to change their strategy. Instead of sitting back and letting their partner call the shots, or worrying so much about how others perceived them, they took charge. They wanted security and they wanted control, and the best way to do that is to handle your own business - including managing your own finances.

Another reason? Many women have adopted an “I can do anything” attitude. Which is GREAT. I really feel that there’s been a cultural shift, and it’s less about feminism and more about taking control of your own destiny.

Lastly, people have become far more accepting of the expanded role that women have taken in all aspects of life. Where a wife’s declaration of “I’m going to be a real estate investor” might have been met with a condescending pat on the head by her husband 20 years ago, today the response is more along the lines of “You can do it, and I believe in you.”

These factors have combined to essentially create a perfect storm for women who want to enter the investment game. They’re smart, savvy, and motivated - and the men who have dominated the market for so long are listening...and even learning. In fact, in many cases, women outperform their male counterparts, snagging better and more profitable deals. Obviously, there’s no definitive study showing that women make better investors than men, but it is worth noting that some of the key differences between men and women (i.e., women tend to stay calmer under pressure, are able to see the long-term picture with more clarity) have worked in the woman’s favor in this industry.

Right now, women make up a sizeable - and growing - portion of real estate investors. Of this, there are ladies finding success by flipping houses, securing buy-and-hold deals, going after commercial properties, and basically using whatever type of investment strategy suits them. There are young, single moms using their investments to make ends meet, corporate refugees who decided they didn’t want to sit in a cubicle anymore, and even older women who wanted something more to do during their golden years.

It’s an interesting phenomena, and it’s one that’s grabbing the attention of just about everyone in this industry. If you’re a woman and you’re thinking of building your wealth through property investment, what are you waiting for? More than ever before, the time is right for you to take action and find the financial success and freedom you deserve.