A new survey by a popular national real estate marketplace, Zolo highlights shows that gender biases impact the desires of home buyers .
There’s no denying that COVID-19 changed everything over the last year — but despite increasing health concerns and ongoing restrictions property shoppers were active in most real estate markets across North America.
Turns out the pandemic did shift the home features most in demand.
To better understand these shifting needs 1,369 home buyers were asked about their housing preferences.
At first, men and women appeared to be on the same page with a preference for:
- 3-bedroom (40%),
- 2-bathroom (49%)
- detached house (73%)
- with a garage (70%)
- and a master bedroom that included an en suite (68%).
Drill down a little further and the most in-demand features were different for men and women (multiple responses allowed).
Women and Men Differ in What They Want in a Home
Women wanted:
- Updated HVAC (newer furnace and central air conditioning unit) – 73%
- Patio or deck – 65%
- Updated kitchen – 64%
- Walk-in closets – 60%.
Men wanted:
- Private outdoor space – 71%
- Updated kitchen – 67%
- Energy saving appliances – 60%
- Hardwood floors – 57%
The responses from home shoppers in the 2021 survey indicates a shift towards more dedicated living spaces, both inside and outside of the home, along with money-saving upgrades that can improve livability and lower the cost of living.
The data used to determine these results came from the findings of the Zolo Homebuyers Survey 2021, an online survey of 1,389 respondents conducted between January 19 – 22, 2021. The estimated margin of error is +/- 2 percentage points, 18 times out of 20.
