Income disparity and knowledge gap to reshape property ownership for women

The firm found that views around properties have been shifting following economic barriers and a widening knowledge gap that has been impeding women's access to the market, ultimately reshaping the great “Australian Dream”.

Across the surveyed, only 38 per cent of Gen Z women consider owning a home important, compared to 58 per cent of Millennials and nearly 70 per cent of Baby Boomers.

Data showed that ownership rose with age; across the 1,003 respondents, three-quarters of Baby Boomers were property owners, compared to just 35 per cent of Gen Z.

Additionally, across both genders, 15 per cent said they had a portfolio with one or more residential investment properties, and 5 per cent own non‑residential investment properties.


While across all age groups, men were more likely than women to own investment properties, Millennials had the highest share of investment property accounting for one‑quarter of those holding an investment property

Conversely, 53 per cent of Australians who have not yet entered the property market said that upfront expenses, including deposits, stamp duty and transaction costs, have prevented them from buying.

Data showed that 86 per cent of non-property owners earned under $100,000, while higher-income earners over the hundred-thousand mark were more likely to own multiple properties.

Additionally, the financial burden has been weighing more heavily on women, with 56 per cent underscoring the persistent gender gap in financial security and savings possibilities, restricting their capacity to enter the property ladder.

The challenge was particularly acute for Gen Z born between 1997 and 2012, with 58 per cent citing upfront costs as their main obstacle.

According to Cotality Australia’s head of research, Gerard Burg, affordability constraints may be altering traditional home-ownership goals, particularly for younger women who face steeper challenges in saving a deposit to enter the market.

“Women’s property aspirations are also constrained as the gender pay gap builds over the course of their careers,” Burg said.

Among the surveyed, Millennials had the highest rate of full-time employment at around two-thirds, while about half of Gen Z and Gen X worked full-time, and more than four in five Baby Boomers were retired.

Gen Z were more likely to be in part-time, casual roles, unemployed, or studying, with young women particularly overrepresented in part-time work, contributing to lower incomes, as nearly three in 10 Gen Z women earn under $40,000 compared to one in five men.

Similarly, data showed that the gender wage gap widens in mid‑career, with two-thirds of millennials womens earning less than $100,000, compared with under half of Millennial men.

As property prices continue to rise, lower incomes have increasingly made it harder to save for a deposit and meet loan serviceability requirements.

About 21 per cent of non-owners say they cannot qualify for a mortgage, while roughly 19 per cent reported not being ready or actively looking to buy, underscoring the financial and structural barriers that particularly affect women’s journey into property ownership.

Nearly one in three Australians delayed buying a home due to high mortgage repayments, council rates, and other ongoing costs, a burden that affected Gen Z most strongly, with 40 per cent citing it as a reason for holding back.

Gen Z were also shown to have lower awareness of the property buying process, with one in four men and one in five women unsure of where to start their journey, compared with under 10 per cent of older age groups.

Cotality Australia chief commercial officer Lisa Jennings said rising living expenses, pay gaps and career interruptions faced by women have set back their ability to enter the property market.

She added that property ownership underpinned financial security, well-being and long-term opportunity.

“Early entry to the property market gives more time for wealth to accumulate and a gateway to more options later, as well as the tenure benefits from owning a property. This is a concern for younger females, who don’t own property as frequently as males.”

“If we want property ownership to remain an achievable goal, it’s critical that governments, industry and employers work together to remove barriers and provide targeted support that helps women build savings and enter the market with confidence,” Jennings concluded.