If you are a seller, you need to know how buyers think. A study by the National Association of Realtors asked buyers who they are, why they need to buy, and what would make them buy. Here is just a few highlights from that study which provides detailed insight into the home buyer’s experience with this important transaction. Here are highlights from that report.
- Sixty-six percent of recent home buyers were married couples—the highest share since 2001.
- For forty-two percent of home buyers, the first step in the home-buying process was looking online for properties. While fourteen percent of home buyers first looked online for information on the complete home buying process.
- The use of the Internet in the home search process rose slightly to ninety-two percent.
- The typical home buyer searched for 12 weeks and viewed 10 homes.
- Eighty-eight percent of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker. This share steadily increased from sixty-nine percent in 2001.
- Eighty-eight percent of sellers were assisted by a real estate agent when selling their home.
- Two-thirds of home sellers only contacted one agent before selecting the one to assist with their home sale.
- The share of home sellers who sold their home without the assistance of a real estate agent was nine percent. Forty percent knew the buyer prior to home purchase.