Experts say that women are often dissuaded from participating in the housing market, but here in metro Atlanta, more single women are purchasing houses than anywhere else in the nation, according to a new report.
The findings from Better.com and Compass Real Estate were published in a report Wednesday.
According to the analysis, one-in-five homebuyers nationwide are single women. Of the Compass agents who were surveyed, 58% say that women buyers make up a majority of their clientele, and 83% say they have seen that number increase in the last five years.
The joint report from the two housing-focused companies is based on internal data and overall housing market trends.
Historically, women have been denied mortgages at a higher rate and earned less income than their male peers. The combination of the two has often left women out of the homebuying process at a disproportional rate, the report notes.
However, even among heterosexual married homebuyers, women are increasingly out earning their partners. In the report, 80% of surveyed agents reported a rise in women as the primary income source.
One-in-three married women did not put their spouse on the loan application from Better.com.
“Women understand that buying a home is more than securing a place to live, but is an investment in their future that can ultimately be passed on to their family or play a significant role in their retirement. I personally can think of few things more impactful on my life than the equity I have from purchasing my first or current home,” Monique Williams, a Compass agent in Atlanta, said in a release.
Top 10 cities for single women homebuyers, according to the report:
- Atlanta
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Seattle
- Denver
- San Francisco
- Washington, D.C.
- San Diego
- Houston
- Oakland
