Are women decision-makers when it comes to property acquisition?

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Men are always right but women are never wrong. When it comes to property acquisitions, women always have the last say. The multiple-options answers prop up when we consider an equation containing these 4 unknowns : women, men, property and right. The aim here is not to embark on a feminist debate, raise a machist issue or even to talk about rights. Lexpressproperty is instead considering the decision-making scheme for a property acquisition when a couple is placed in front of the choice. Ladies, what do you think ? An you Gentlemen ?

The decision making scheme

Before making a real estate purchase, the time devoted to looking for a plot of land, a house and an apartment requires consequential human resources for a couple or a family, at the same level as the budget estimates and advice from several related institutions (notary office, etc). Moreover, it is inevitable that, in some cases, these tasks are exclusively allocated, out of tradition, culture or habits, to one of the two partners. For example, it is not unusual that choices regarding structural works and land credit are made by men while women more readily take care of the decoration or the visits. However, in other cases, even if the tasks are shared by the couple, the final decision is made by both partners in a common say.

A French survey

As a matter of fact. an investigation carried out by Immonot, a notarial real estate site, at the beginning of 2017, has produced the following statistics : the final decision is taken together in 70% of cases. However, as from the moment that one of the spouses takes the initiative of an independent decision,which happens in the other third of the cases, other statistics are added on the property acquisition process and women then have a larger decisional power. In the last cases, the French investigation pinpoints the fact that women are the ones who, more often, carry out the visits (in 14.9% while men in 7.8%) and the final decision (16.3% against 10.9%).

What about Mauritius ?

In order to inquire into the decision-making process in Mauritius when it comes to a real estate acquisition, LexpressProperty has interviewed 3 interior designers and two real estate agency General Managers. They have shared their opinions on whether there were a any specific scheme in the final decision in Mauritius when it comes to a property acquisition (one of the spouses of both in a collegial way) and on the clichés or not that some details that are dealt with by the wife/female partner (like site visits and interior design etc).

Marie Christine Lagesse, Managing Director of MCL Immobilier

“ Je ne suis pas dans l’intimité des couples pour savoir qui est le décisionnaire, et je pense que c’est une décision prise en commun qui dépend du budget, du temps libre et des capacités de l’un ou de l’autre et des besoins de la famille. ”

Outi de Falbaire, Associate Managing Director of BARNES INTERNATIONAL REALTY

“ I would not say that the statement is a cliché as such. However, as we are specialised in the sales of PDS properties where other criteria such as pure financial gain may be as important decision factor as the more traditional ones, we see less of this tendency. ”

Shanah Dosieah, Interior Designer at BAGNODESIGN

“I believe a feminine touch always refines a space – that said, most of the time YES the women do have the last words when it comes to interior design. ”

Prishni Bissonauth, Interior Designer at Deco Design

“ À la base, c’est une décision de couple. It’s kind of a big deal to plan for the future. Je pense que c’est une décision commune. Au niveau de la décoration, c’est plutôt la femme qui a le dernier mot. ”

Clarel Arekion, Managoing Director at Clarel Arekion Interior Design Co. Ltd :

“ Je dirai plus que c’est la femme qui pousse l’homme à prendre la décision finale avec les bons arguments. C’est un travail à deux. L’homme ne prend pas en considération les détails ou les possibilités d’amélioration. En gros, l’homme paraît plus facile à convaincre. La femme aide l’homme à faire le choix. En ce qui concerne la disposition des pièces, c’est l’homme qui observe plus le côté pratique et la femme commence très tôt à chercher des espaces de rangements. Au final, je pense que c’est une décision à deux à quelques exceptions près. Les visites, par contre, se font en général à deux et s’il y a des enfants, c’est toute la famille qui visite. Les enfants influencent aussi la décision des parents. En ce qui concerne la déco, je dois dire que l’homme s’est beaucoup amélioré, pour ne pas dire féminisé, ces dernières années. Très ordonné et avec pas mal de goût. Ça arrive aussi que l’homme fasse la surprise totale à la femme. ”

Here we go. It seems that in Mauritius, the final decision follows the French model and is made, more often than not, together by both spouses. Lexpressproperty wishes you a future good property acquisition as let’s not forget that, It’s Time To Invest !!

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