Women See A Home: Men See A House
There exists a distinct "WAF," or Wife Acceptance Factor, in the consumer electronics realm, according to a new (female) friend in that industry. It could be condescending or empowering, as she says, depending on how you slice it.
Perhaps not so surprisingly, the same factor appears to influence home purchases - according to a recent piece by Diane Wedner (reg. required) in the Los Angeles Times:
"Spousal gratification is a big reason men often play second fiddle in making decisions about big purchases, experts say.
‘In 70% of my sales, if the woman likes the home, the man goes along
with it,’ said Paul Britton, a Prudential California Realty agent in
Bellflower. ‘Her approval is key to the purchase.’"
As Wedner points out, the reality of how much women affect home purchases has long-since hit resale agents, but now builders are starting to pay more attention as well. In a lot of traditional industries, this appears to be the case - marketers are doing what they can to resonate with women at that final stage before a consumer comes across a product, but the focus on how to better serve women should begin at the very initiation of the process with product development and design (or, in this case - builders).
Check out the article for more, including some great examples of how women influence home purchases at many levels, and a few quotes from me.
