A few years ago, you probably would have never thought you’d be able to work from home, even if it’s only for a few days each week. Well, that’s about to change because businesses are starting to embrace the remote work culture and are adopting a hybrid workforce. Employees are pretty excited about this - 90% of surveyed workers say their productivity has increased since being able to work from home.
Folks who are working remotely are taking this opportunity to relocate and when they’re looking for a new home, their priorities have shifted. HomeLight’s Summer/Fall Top Agent Insights explores the new housing trends that buyers are vying for.
1. Space for a Home Office
For the past year and a half, remote workers hunkered down in their living rooms, dining rooms, and even bedrooms with their laptops to get work done. Homebuyers who are able to continue to work from home 50% of employees said they don’t even want to go back to the office!) say they want a dedicated home office. In fact, 59.6% of realtors say a dedicated home office is at the top of their client’s wish list!
2. Good Schools
When it comes to our children’s education, we only want the best. It’s important to many homebuyers who are relocating to move to an area that’s known for having a top-notch school district. Parents can use a site like GreatSchools.org to research districts in their desired area, or they could ask their realtors.
Although empty-nesters or buyers without children aren’t concerned about the school districts, 53.7% of real estate agents say that their clients place this at the top of their priority list.
3. Large Backyard
There are a lot of things you could want in a home, but the interior isn’t always what matters most. 49.9% of real estate agents reported that many buyers are interested in having a large backyard as one of their top priorities. With that said, buyers aren’t just interested in having a large backyard though. Buyers are drawn to homes with an in-ground pool, built-in grills, high-end landscaping, and outdoor living areas.
4. Space for a Home Gym
Can you even remember the last time you went to the gym? It’s probably been a while now - you may have even canceled your membership! Today’s home buyers are in the same boat and 26% of realtors say their clients are dying to have a home with enough space for a home gym. Even if a home doesn’t have a room for a dedicated home gym, they’ll be happy if there’s space in the basement, garage, or covered patio.
5. Turn-Key Properties
2020 was a big year for home renovations but fast forward to today and 48.3% of real estate agents say their clients aren’t interested in rolling up their sleeves and they want a turn-key property. Homebuyers are shelling out a lot of money due to ever-rising home prices and they want a home that doesn’t require any work. Can you blame them?
Today’s Buyers Know Exactly What They Want
It’s amazing how quickly time flies and it’s crazy to think that there are only a few more months left in this year! Although the housing market is as wild as ever, people who are venturing into the market know exactly what they want and remote work plays a very big role in that. Once they find the home that marks every box on their “must-haves” list, they’re likely to do whatever it takes to get it.
On the flip side, if you’re thinking about selling and want to hone in on these buyers, you could use a net proceeds calculator to see how much money you could make once your home is sold!
