It was International Women’s Day the other week and somehow that made me think of a comment that real estate agents sometimes hear from male buyers: “Mate, I love the property, but the missus doesn’t really like it.”
On hearing that comment you might think there’s still a chance of getting a sale with this couple because at least the husband loves the property.
You would be wrong. You would be showing that you have no understanding of the husband/wife dynamic when buying a property. You are completely ignorant about who has the power.
If “the missus” doesn’t like a property, there is no deal to be done.
However, it’s a different story when the situation is reversed. Say the comment is: “Mate, to be honest I don’t really like the property, but the missus loves it.” Start drawing up the contract baby, we have got a deal!
It’s not quite that easy but I have definitely sold properties to couples when the man isn’t a big fan but the woman loves it.
I’m not sure if they include my observations during International Women’s Day speeches but I think the house-buying dynamic does say something about a healthy modern relationship and shows clearly that women do not take a back seat when the important decisions are being made.
It also serves as a warning to sexist real estate agents … underestimate the authority of a woman in a relationship and you are doomed to failure.
We’ve all seen the salesman who focuses on the husband and ignores the wife. It’s embarrassing. There he is joking with the husband, making eye contact with him, laughing at his jokes, slapping him on the back, treating the wife as though she doesn’t matter.
That salesman is like the last of a species on the verge of dying out. The world has changed and time has passed him by and he doesn’t know it. But it’s over for him and it’s the female buyer who is about to finish him off.
“Sorry mate, I reckon you’re great but the missus thinks you’re an idiot.” Chk, chk, boom.
