Most Owners Satisfied With Their Homes - So Why Move?

Most Owners Satisfied With Their Homes - So Why Move?

A 2009 survey of home owners conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that most of them are satisfied with their residences. About 70 percent of respondents rated their homes an 8, 9, or 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 28 percent giving them the "best" rating of 10. Residents of new construction tend to rate their homes even more highly: 84 percent gave them between an 8 and 10, and 45 percent gave a perfect 10 rating.

Likewise, more than 68 percent of residents rated their neighborhoods highly, with 25 percent giving it a "best" rating. People living in newly built homes rate their neighborhoods especially highly: 75 percent rated their neighborhoods highly and 35 percent said their neighborhoods were 10s.

Other highlights for the nearly 112 million occupied housing units:

 · The most important consideration for recent movers in choosing their homes was financial (28 percent), followed by room layout/design (15 percent) and size of home (10 percent).

 · The most common reasons recent movers had for choosing their neighborhoods were convenience to job (20 percent), convenience to friends or relatives (14 percent), look/design of neighborhood (10 percent), and the house itself (10 percent).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (08/19/2010)

Interesting information an agent can use in qualifying their buyers in home purchases.

28 percent were moving for financial reasons. How often do we ask why some one is moving? What is important to them about the move? What factors are they considering in making the decision to buy a particular home? Are they moving because they want to or because they have to? How often do we look past the basic number of rooms, baths and price questions. Too often we do not ask all of the right questions. We just put the buyers into our cars and scurry off being a tour guide. And then we wonder why we are not making any money.

15 percent room layout/design. With videos and interior/exterior photos preselling the buyers is so much easier. BUT! how many of the listing out there have no photos, no videos, no descriptive text, nothing? It is amazing how many agents drop the ball on this one. It is also surprising that the sellers do not force the agent to do better than just the basic "I'm not even getting out of the car to take a photo of the house."

10 percent the house itself. The same principle is applied here. So for a total of 25 percent of the reasons people buy homes - why wouldn't you use all of the tools at your disposal? Lazy? Don't care? Incompetent? Stupid?

Choosing their neighborhoods for convenience to job (20 percent), convenience to friends or relatives (14 percent), look/design of neighborhood (10 percent), and the house itself (10 percent). How many agents ask for the reasons the buyers are picking one neighborhood over another? From the stats above seems that the actual house itself is not as important as proximity to the job, friends or relatives. And just as important as the layout of the neighborhood. Have we ever tried to sell the neighborhood? Are there neighborhood benefits listed anywhere on the listing? Are there any great pictures of the neighborhood. Can't find them then go take them yourself. (that way you won't get sued for thousands by the "copyright police")

There is so much useful information out there for us to use to help our clients and our business. I amazes me that most agents are not putting in the effort to get better.