Consumer & Market Trends in Real Estate

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Study Objective

To better understand the evolving role of digital media in the consumer home search process.
Google and NAR have collaborated to uncover trends and insights around digital media usage among home shoppers, whether they were looking for an existing home, a newly constructed home, or an apartment. Together, Google and NAR's individual research results tell a cohesive story about today's uber-connected home shopper.

Report Highlights

- 90 percent of home buyers searched online during their home buying process
- Real estate related searches on Google.com grew 253 percent over the past four years.
- Buyers use specific online tools during different phases of the home search process
- How important "local" search terms and websites are for buyers
- How mobile technology cements online to offline home buying — including the reading of online reviews
- How video and YouTube satisfy buyers' research needs
- The role of age and gender in driving real estate decision making in the market by being the top demographics who searched online and took the next steps offline
- Top states for searches around first-time home buyer tips and specific housing segments like senior housing and foreclosures

Contributing Authors

Jessica Lautz, Manager, Member and Consumer Survey Research, NAR
Jessica Prunell, Account Executive, Google