Wealth

Doing what comes naturally

By Judith Taylor

You won't find serious property women in a department store or a shoe shop. They spend their time at open for inspections and strolling around the aisles at Bunnings.

Success is the outcome of doing what you love. Ask any woman property investor and they will tell you that they absolutely love what they do. Not only that, they are always happy and smiling. As each project is completed, it becomes a mission to find the next one.

When it comes to property investment, it´s not that women are better than men; it´s just that they are different:

• Women are multi-taskers. They can excel in the workplace, study, feed the kids, meet everyone else´s needs and still have time to focus on their future.
• They can follow a recipe. Show a woman what she needs to do and give her a set of instructions and she will begin to take action. As a general rule, women are not risk takers. They will have a slow and steady approach and follow the plan, making adjustments to suit their own strategy. Women also accept the concept of trading some hard work now for future rewards.
• Women are good communicators and excellent negotiators. They easily build rapport which helps when organising their team.
• When dealing with home related issues, women are natural homemakers and decision makers. They are good at decorating and making a home comfortable and know how to make a home attractive to the end user (tenant). Add this to the fact that they are bargain shoppers and it means that they can save money while turning a sow´s ear into a silk purse.
• They are intuitive. After researching and running the numbers, women just know if a property feels right. If they trust their instincts they will end up with a property that has few problems and attracts good tenants.

I speak to women of all ages every day who tell me that they´ve always dreamt of being a property investor but don´t know where to go or who to ask, and are often too frightened to go it alone. Most have read mountains of property investment books but still don´t feel that it´s enough to gain the confidence to overcome fear and the knowledge to take action.

Usually their friends don´t share the same vision and they feel that they don´t have other like-minded women to share their dreams and ideas with.

If women are serious about becoming a property investor, they need to get serious about taking action. The most important step is to invest in property education to gain knowledge and confidence to get started. There are only two ways to learn, either by your own mistakes or from others who have done what you want to do.

The second step is to mix with likeminded people. Don´t be stopped by people who tell you that you can´t do it. Find a way. If you have outgrown the people around you, move on to make space for meeting new people who share your dreams.

Finally, do what you love and love what you do. If property investing is what you have always wanted to do, don´t die wondering; and remember to have fun every day of your life.