International Women's Day 2026: Real estate emerges as top investment choice for 66% women

International Women's Day 2026: About 66% of women prefer real estate over gold and FDs, while 61% are looking for homes priced above ₹90 lakh, as per a survey

With growing financial independence and a rising appetite for high-yield assets, many Indian women are increasingly turning to real estate over traditional investments such as fixed deposits and gold. About 66% of women now view real estate as their preferred investment vehicle. While gold and FDs still retain a place in portfolios, the stock market remains relatively underrepresented among women investors, with just 3% considering it an option, Anarock’s consumer sentiment survey said.

Women's Day 2026: About 66% of women now view real estate as their preferred investment vehicle, Anarock’s consumer sentiment survey has said (ChatGPT generated image)

The number of women in the high-net-worth (HNI) segment is also rising, further driving demand for property. Reflecting this shift, nearly 61% of women homebuyers are now looking at homes priced above ₹90 lakh, a sharp increase from just 25% in 2019. From seeking financial security to aspiring for premium and luxury homes, women are increasingly playing a significant role in shaping India’s real estate landscape, it noted.

At least 37% of aspiring women homebuyers look for properties priced between ₹90 lakh and ₹1.5 crore, while 14% prefer homes priced between ₹1.5 crore and ₹2.5 crore. Interestingly, at least 10% prefer to buy homes priced more than ₹2.5 crore, a strong testimony to India's proliferating women HNI contingent. Back in the 2019 survey, just 25% preferred homes priced above ₹90 lakh, while 75% favoured affordable and mid-segment homes priced below ₹90 lakh, it noted.

Today, over 71% of women prefer residential real estate for investment; The stock market loses appeal with just 3% of women prefer it now against 20% in 2019; Gold shines, with 18% now preferring it over 8% earlier, Anarock Consumer Sentiment Survey said.

Move over gold, is real estate women’s new best friend?

“The modern Indian woman prefers brick and mortar over traditional FDs and gold on the back of their growing financial independence and hunger for high-yield assets. For 66% of women, real estate is now the ultimate investment vehicle. While gold and FDs still have a place, the stock market - at just 3% - is barely on the radar. Women are not just saving for the future but casting it in concrete,” Santhosh Kumar, Vice Chairman – ANAROCK Group.

While more Indian women than ever before are choosing housing as their winning ticket, gold is the next asset class on their wish list. The yellow metal's popularity among polled women investors has risen from 8% in the H2 2019 survey to 18% in the H2 2025 edition. Their preference for fixed deposits currently stands at 13%. Further, the end-use-to-investment ratio for women homebuyers stood at 71:29 in 2025, against 77:23 in the H2 2019 edition, it said.

Women favour bigger homes

Bigger homes continue to dominate women's homebuyer demand. The H2 2025 survey edition highlights that over 54% of women participants prefer 3BHK homes, while 14% favour 4BHKs and above. In the H2 2022 edition, 50% of women favoured 3BHKs, while another 20% preferred 4BHKs and above, the survey showed.

“This not-so-stark contrast between the two periods clearly indicates that women homebuyers' preference for spacious homes over smaller ones is not breaking news,” says Santhosh Kumar. “Interestingly, their interest in 1BHKs has shrunk further to 4% in H2 2025 against 8% in H2 2022.”

The survey, which polled 9800 participants, of which 50% (4900) were women, also highlights that demand for newly launched properties is on the rise - over 20% of the survey’s women respondents now prefer new-launch homes, against just 9% back in the H2 2019 survey.

Their preference for ready-to-move-in homes has declined marginally to 32% in the H2 2025 survey, from 33% in H2 2019. Again, another clear indicator of a strengthening investment approach among women property buyers. Since most new launches are by large and listed developers, women invest with confidence.