Listen to Your Wife When Buying a House
By Tristan Hooker/MediaPA
Men might be statistically taller, stronger and can run faster than women, but when it comes to making important financial decisions, like purchasing a home, men should listen to their wives, according to Real Estate Agent Emily Hunt.
“It’s often the woman who is buying the house,” says Emily, who is an agent at Lodge Real Estate’s Dinsdale, Hamilton branch.
“Women are no longer expected to conform to the stereotypical roles of decorating the home and stocking the kitchen,” she says. “Women are very active in making the final decision about which house to buy.”
According to neuroscience studies conducted at the University of Southern California and Duke University, women make better decisions than men when confronted with high stress situations.
In the studies, men and women had their hands submerged in extremely cold (minus 35 degrees) water and were instructed to perform simple tests involving financial risk.
The experiment showed that men tended to take more risks when stressed, aiming for bigger financial gains in a shorter time. The women were more controlled in their decision making.
The study found a major factor was the stress hormone cortisol. The men in the study experienced a greater spike in cortisol, leading them towards the tendency to take greater risks. The women experienced a smaller cortisol spike, which actually helped them with their decision making.
This research comes as no surprise to Emily Hunt.
“Women have a competitive advantage,” says Emily, “not only in the business world but anywhere important decisions need to be made, financially or otherwise.”
Emily says an advantage of being a woman in the real estate business is that clients find her approachable.
“Being a woman is definitely an advantage,” she says. “People see me as non-threatening. They also know I’m likely to be fair and level-headed and that I’ll be straight up with them.
“When showing a couple a house, I often find I end up doing a lot of the talking with the woman of the couple,” she says, “which gets the husband somewhat off the hook.”
“He can relax and enjoy the experience more, knowing the women have got it all under control.”
Contact Emily Hunt:
Office: Lodge Real Estate Dinsdale
Address: Dinsdale Shopping Centre, 35 Whatawhata Road
Email: emilyh@lodge.co.nz
Phone B: 07 847 7800
Mobile: 022 064 2896
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilyhuntlodge
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