Home prices are high and buyers often can’t find a listing that includes everything on their wish lists. But buyers are showing preferences for certain home features in their searches, particularly outdoor amenities and views.

Realtor.com®’s data team analyzed the home features that home buyers are looking for to identify the most popular search terms in listings.

“People want to live indoors, but they want to live outdoors as well,” Cara Ameer, a real estate professional with Coldwell Banker, who is licensed in California and Florida, told realtor.com®. “That idea became big during the pandemic.”

The following are some of the amenities that buyers are prioritizing:

Water features: Swimming pools continue to be the most popular search term this year. Pools have increasingly gained popularity since the pandemic began. Hot tubs or spas also are popular.

Outdoor views: Buyers want a property with a view. The most desired views: a river, waterfront, beach, water, lake, or golf course. It’s about “enhancing your living experience because people want to feel like they’re on vacation all the time,” Ameer told realtor.com®.

Outdoor activities and fitness: Buyers also showed preference for properties with facilities for horses, community boating, community golf, tennis, or basketball. They want activities nearby that they can enjoy, particularly for in-between breaks if they’re working from home all day.

Roominess: Buyers searched for cathedral ceilings, a “big lot,” an outbuilding, and a library. High ceilings make spaces feel larger and more open, and buyers are being drawn to homes that look and are spacious. A library or an outbuilding—a detached structure like a garage or shed—also may be serving as another remote work hot spot in the home.

View more trending amenities among home buyers at realtor.com®

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©National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

Outdoor trends that emerged during the first two years of the pandemic continue to develop and enhance play, curb appeal, and healthfulness.

Key Takeaways:

• Homeowners can divide their yards into separate, functional, quasi-rooms for organization and as an extension of indoor living.
• Drought-tolerant native plants have higher survival rates in their climate and attract pollinators, butterflies, and birds.
• Shade from trees provides climate control for homes and yards.

After the pandemic began, many homeowners planted vegetable and herb gardens to avoid supermarkets or to start a new hobby. Gardening offered safe exercise and stress relief in fresh air versus indoor gyms.

Then came the surge of pools as another avenue for outdoor recreation when many people curtailed travel. However, the number of requests for pools resulted in long waits for installation, sometimes beyond a year. Costs for in-ground pools also soared, says Sacramento, Calif.-based landscape designer Michael Glassman.  (link is external)

Now, as the pandemic enters year three, gardens and pools are still popular, but homeowners are stepping it up a notch. Many are creating an extension of their home outdoors, with more purposeful areas to work and socialize.

“Most of my clients want ‘everything,’ including pools—indoors and outdoors—oversized swim spas, hot tubs, kitchens, mini orchards, vegetable and herb gardens, putting greens, and bocce ball courts,” says landscape designer Laurie Van Zandt of The Ardent Garden Landscape Design(link is external) in Huntsville, Utah.

Others want more land for privacy, which is the case for many of Angela Mayfield’s clients in Charleston, W.Va. “They want at least a half-acre to enjoy with children and pets,” says Mayfield, an agent with Better Homes & Gardens(link is external). This trend is also reflected in a recent Harris poll commissioned by the TurfMutt Foundation(link is external), which found nearly three-quarters of home buyers say a spacious yard is at the top of their list.

Whatever yard projects homeowners decide to take on, what matters most is good design and installation, says Joe Raboine(link is external) with Atlanta-based Belgard Residential, which manufactures concrete pavers and retaining walls. Southampton, N.J.-based landscape designer Steve Chepurny(link is external) of Beechwood Landscape Architecture and Construction, adds a third essential: good organic compost soil.

With spring at our doorstep and the buying season heating up, here are some outdoor elements real estate pros can mention to their home shoppers.

1. Providing a better view.

As the work from home trend continues, more landscape professionals are receiving requests for gardens that clients can savor from inside. Evanston, Ill.-based landscape architects Ryan and Claire Kettelkamp(link is external) have received two requests this year from clients who want to have a pleasant view from their home office window.

“The birds become their co-workers, and one client asked for bird feeders,” Ryan says. Sometimes, all it takes is a big window with few or no mullions to bring a garden into focus—inspired by the worldwide View From My Window(link is external) Facebook group that started during the pandemic, Glassman says. Good lighting with LED bulbs also allows for night views while paring energy.

2. Working in fresh air.

After two years of working indoors, more homeowners are itching for a new home office—and as the weather warms up, they’re venturing outdoors. To make an outdoor workspace functional, Kettelkamp recommends a Wi-Fi booster. Landscape architect Marc Nissim of Harmony Design Group(link is external) in Westfield, N.J., also suggests outdoor electrical outlets, a comfortable worktable and chair, a pergola or pavilion for protection, and a TV and speakers if warranted.

An accessory dwelling unit is another option for those who want a more structured work area in their yard that offers some privacy, says Paul Haden, founder and owner with son Jack of C2 Collaborative Landscape Architecture(link is external) in San Clemente, Calif, who says California has made ADU approval easier.

3. Planning a pool.

Despite costs doubling and tripling in some areas, interest in pools continues. The most sought-after style remains a classic rectangle, which Nissim refers to as a “Hamptons look.” It’s considered best for swimming laps and fitting with an automatic cover. Other homeowners prefer custom in-ground gunite designs. More affordable options include vinyl, fiberglass, or shipping containers, which may shorten the installation timeline.

Pool lighting has become a more integral part of modern landscape design—sometimes with lights floating in the water, says Greenwich, Conn.-based landscape architect Janice Parker(link is external). Coping is key for underfoot comfort with Nissim preferring bluestone or marble, often interspersed with grass. An adjacent spa or “spool”—a larger version of a spa but not pool size—allows a different kind of water enjoyment, Glassman says.

4. Seeking less maintenance.

Many homeowners are asking for easy-to-maintain hardscape and landscape materials that afford them time for other pursuits. Examples abound: A steel overhead cover requires less care than wood. Though it can be expensive, faux wood such as Durawood doesn’t require painting, and lightweight aluminum can substitute for wood. Masonry posts in stucco or brick also need less care, Glassman says.

Many hardscape floor choices also don’t require repainting like wood does or the removal of moss, which is a problem with bricks. Larger format pavers require less grouting and are easier to install, helpful now with a labor shortage in some markets, says Raboine. For this reason, Chepurny favors porcelain tiles. “They also reflect a clean, contemporary look and are available in large format sizes,” he says.

Nissim offers the caveat that many communities limit how much impervious hardscape can cover a yard since it may increase water runoff and flooding. Another way to pare upkeep is with an irrigation system managed from an app or by water sensors.

5. Focusing on entertainment.

As homeowners look to return to regular socializing, their outdoor spaces may prove the best option, says Parker. “Before everyone wanted to entertain indoors to stay away from bugs and inclement weather; now everybody wants to entertain outdoors to stay away from unhealthy indoor air,” she says.

The trend is to separate outdoor spaces into functional, quasi-rooms. Depending on budget and area size, a cooking zone might include a grill or more bells and whistles such as a pizza oven or fireplace with an Argentine grill to cook on an open fire, says Kettelkamp.

For outdoor relaxation, Parker says more clients request “fun” furniture with built-in illumination(link is external), fire pits, fans, and water misters. Nissim also sees the use of more bistro lighting, strings installed on their own electrical system that create an instant party look. There are also more “toys” that stay outdoors, from ping-pong tables to big-screen TVs, Chepurny says.

As part of the trend toward healthfulness, an area of the lawn may be set aside for meditation and yoga, says Raboine. Nissim had a client ask for a labyrinth to walk. To avoid pests, Patrick Abbott of the green company, Ecoshield Test Solutions(link is external), recommends fogging or misting treatments and mosquito buckets rather than harmful pesticides.

6. Incorporating sustainability.

With garden professionals emphasizing climate control and biodiversity, there’s greater interest in using drought-tolerant native plants that have a higher survival rate in their climate and attract pollinators, butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects. “There used to be a mindset that you had to give up your garden to do the right thing but now there’s recognition you can have it all,” says Haven Kiers(link is external), assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of California, Davis.

San Clemente, Calif.-based landscape designer Jodie Cook(link is external) is seeing a more maximalist, biomimicry approach(link is external) that imitates nature through diverse plantings rather than the former monocultural repetition of a single plant. “It’s healthier, more attractive, and uses less water,” she says. To achieve this, she recommends a garden feature with 70% native plants and 30% other choices and replacing the lawn with permeable concrete pavers, decomposed granite, pea gravel, or other surfaces pervious to water. Cook, who focuses on ecological design, says artificial grass isn’t a wise substitute since it’s bad for sustainability because it can’t be recycled, it creates urban heat islands, and it removes live plants that absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Besides choosing low- or no-water plants, Cooks says the amount of water needed can also be cut by harvesting it from rooftop water collection systems and reusing it via swales and rain gardens, which eliminates municipal water irrigation.

How sustainable gardens look varies by climate and site. In Van Zandt’s high-desert area, she often designs it to blur a property into its surroundings by strategically placing boulders, creating winding paths around existing native trees, and mixing native materials—from grass seed blends to ornamental grasses, perennials, and shrubs like sage and red twig dogwood. In the Northeast, Nissim says he might use low rustic, pea gravel paths, hardy, deer-resistant allium millennium, and deer-resistant carex groundcover.

7. Personalizing beyond plants.

Plants aren’t all that’s showing up in gardens. Jim Charlier(link is external), an avid home gardener and co-author of GardenWalk Buffalo: A Celebration of Urban Gardens, says many of the gardens on his city’s annual July residential tour—the largest nationwide and about to celebrate its 27th year—incorporates art, pottery, statues, and quilts to personalize spaces.

Cook also sees homeowners incorporating antiques and statuary in surprising ways for placemaking. Some choices may also reflect a client’s heritage, a trend Van Zandt has made. For a client of Greek ancestry, she designed a modern landscape with classic statuary and a tiered fountain.

8. Bringing in added structures.

Screened porches are hardly new but have become more popular since they eliminate the presence of annoying bugs while offering outdoor enjoyment. Modern designs use unobstructed screens, motorized shades, sometimes heated floors, and even heated furnishings, says Parker.

Chicken coops let homeowners experience farming. “Once you taste fresh eggs, there’s no going back,” Parker says. However, not all communities allow these animals in yards, so homeowners should inquire, Nissim says.

A greenhouse lets plants thrive in a controlled environment. Prefab kits are replacing pricey custom designs, and can be outfitted with a sink, vent, fan, mister, and even a chandelier, says Glassman.

9. Watching for new ideas.

Homeowners should talk to their local nursery staff who know what grows well in the area. Also, advise clients to wander their neighborhood to see what’s thriving. Tell them to keep their eyes open for new trends. The pandemic has spurred entrepreneurs to create pop-up plant nursery trucks, the equivalent of food trucks, that drive through neighborhoods, Kiers says.

10. Developing a budget as costs soar.

Designing a garden has become a costly undertaking as costs rise. Van Zandt says plant and material prices have shot up 20% to 30% over the last year. “Just about any landscape I design seems to start at $60,000,” she says. “Throw in a greenhouse, Corten steel beds, fencing, a bocce ball court, or a gas-fired pit or fireplace, and it really goes up.” Nissim is seeing the same price escalation in his New Jersey area and says concrete has climbed 20% and a fireplace now may cost $25,000 or about five times more than a fire pit. Raboine has seen costs at his paver manufacturer business climb by one-third.

Many experts suggest homeowners set aside 10% to 20% of their home’s value for outdoor work and ongoing upkeep, which means a $500,000 house might call for between $50,000 and $100,000 on yard improvements, excluding a pool.

One of the best ways to control a budget is to work from a master plan. Van Zandt says she generally charges between $1,800 and $3,800 for a design depending on project size and complexity. Once it’s bid out to contractors, if too high, work can proceed in phases. Less costly products can be chosen, such as gravel rather than stone for a patio or smaller rather than large mature plants, shrubs, and trees, she says. Sprinkling native seeds is another way to start affordably, says Kiers. “They are so much less expensive than full-blown plants, and it’s healthier to start that way,” she says.

11. Understanding the value of trees.

Trees are a vital part of the landscape, giving scale to a home’s architecture and offering fruit, color, and drama, whether a single tree or grove, says Glassman. When buyers move in, suggest they reach out to a certified arborist(link is external) to assess the health of existing trees, prune and feed them, and advise on new ones to plant based on soil and light. Trees should never be planted too close to a house to stop branches falling on its structure, animals from using branches to enter a home because the roots can spread and cause damage. Trees also help provide climate control since their canopies can shade a house, outdoor areas, and shade-loving plants, such as dogwoods, ferns, and azaleas, Glassman says.

Kiers says it’s smart to buy smaller trees that will remain healthier and grow faster rather than big pot- or root-bound trees, which can girdle or strangle the trunk as the tree grows. In drought-prone areas, she encourages homeowners to continue watering their trees even if they must curtail watering their lawns. “They need some deep watering to survive,” she says.

12. Shared spaces change, too.

More efforts are underway to provide outdoor spaces beyond yards. Landscape architects Paul and Jack Haden are working with developers and city agencies to create Wi-Fi-friendly “tech pods” in public parks, allowing people to work outdoors in a sheltered space with a laptop—and bring along a cup of coffee and maybe a dog.

“Many of these parks are maintained by private funds, such as one in Playa Vista,” says Jack Haden. The tech pods can be used by one or several people, he says.

The Hadens, a father-and-son partnership, also have designed master-planned communities that take greater advantage of outdoor space in new ways. Playing golf surged during the pandemic as a socially distanced outdoor activity. But in prior years when the sport had waned, some golf course communities switched out their fairways for other uses. The Hadens redesigned a plan for Miralon Palm Springs(link is external), turning the 309-acre site of an abandoned golf-course community—which failed during the Great Recession—into an agrihood with developer Freehold Communities.

Wellness real estate has also grown—now a $275 billion industry, according to 2020 data from the Global Wellness Industry.(link is external) Wellness is a particular interest of C2 Collaborative. The Hadens replaced the golf course with open space and added a trail system using decomposed granite for walking and bicycling.

Unlike many of the other 200 or so agrihoods sprouting up nationwide(link is external), which include variations on agricultural produce, the Hadens’ more novel decision was to plant 7,000 olive trees and set up oil refineries. “We learned after doing a water analysis that olive trees require little water. They also help deflect wind and produce fruit that can be converted to oil on-site,” says Paul Haden, CEO. “Some of the oil will go back to residents and some will be sold, helping to reduce homeowner association (HOA) costs.”

There will also be traditional community and vegetable gardens, a clubhouse, dog park, yoga lawn, pools, bocce ball, and 1,150 modern-inspired, energy-conserving residences constructed by three builders. About 30% of homes have been built and sold, and phase two’s landscape amenities are expected to be completed by 2024.

“You can live well and be well in the same location,” says Jack Haden.

Image by Silviu on the street from Pixabay

©National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

Homeowners have been spending more time in their backyards since the pandemic began. For a growing share of owners, it’s become a new hobby or a place to relax. Sixty-nine percent of Americans recently surveyed say that doing yard work—either maintaining it or adding or updating features—is one of the ways they like to relieve stress these days, according to a Yards Study from Harris Poll.

“Over the last few years, families have used their yards more than ever before, and the Harris Poll indicates a vast majority of those who have a yard plan to invest even more in their yard in the coming year,” says Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation, which was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute with a mission of teaching others how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.”

The TurfMutt Foundation offers the following tips for maintaining or enjoying a lawn or landscape this spring:

Plant more, early, and often. Adding trees, bushes, grass, and flowering plants can be a good yard investment, but they often take time to grow. Plant early as recommended to enjoy the benefits faster. Remember the golden rule of backyarding: right plant, right place. Location, maintenance, sunlight, and watering needs should all be considered, along with your climate zone.

Consider the full picture. Your yard is an important part of the connected ecosystem, and adding flowering plants, trees, and shrubs gives wildlife and pollinators food and shelter. Check your climate zone for landscaping options that support the birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife that call your neighborhood home.

Care for your yard properly. Only water when necessary. Overwatered grass gets lazy, growing roots in a horizontal pattern. With less water, grass sends its roots deeper—vertically—seeking water. By working harder, grass does a better job of sequestering carbon and releasing oxygen. Install watering solutions like smart controllers on irrigation systems that help conserve water while maintaining your backyard.

Also, find the just-right length to cut your turfgrass—typically between 2 and 3 inches, according to the TurfMutt Foundation.

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

©National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

Don’t cut corners when selecting, updating properties.

As appreciation begins to slow and interest rates rise, making money from a fixer-upper becomes less of a guaranteed win. A key to success is doing homework about what’s a good contender to be transformed and how to avoid the biggest mistakes. Josh Miller gave up a corporate job to found GoForClose in 2019, an all-inclusive marketing agency for real estate investors and wholesalers. He cites three mistakes your investor clients should avoid:

1. Choosing the wrong right location. A property is worth as much as its location, Miller says. Look for desirable amenities like shopping, entertainment outlets, and recreation—and watch out for what Miller calls “irritants,” such as busy streets and other sources of noise. “To put it simply,” Miller says, “your best deals are those properties that are neglected and need a little TLC but are in a great neighborhood.”
2. Choosing a contractor based on price rather than quality and speed. Investors sometimes try to save a buck, says Miller, so they hire a contractor who promises to make repairs and improvements for an affordable price or at a discount. “As the saying goes: You get what you pay for, and cheap labor yields cheap results,” he says. Find someone who offers both quality and speed—so work gets done fast and is worth the expense.
3. Not crunching the numbers. Miller’s adage is that you make money when you buy, not when you sell. “Before you purchase any property,” he says, “crunch the numbers to determine if it will give you a good return on investment. Add the purchase price to the fix-and-flip expenses, include closing and carrying costs and contractor and real estate commissions, if applicable. Calculate the maximum allowable offer, and if the numbers make sense, make an offer.

Image by F. Muhammad from Pixabay

©National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

Pandemic-era migration has caused a ripple in cities and towns across America. Will it continue?

Since the beginning of time, humans have moved from one place to the next. Mass migrations like the Gold Rush of the 1800s and the Great Migration of the 1900s were led by populations motivated by historic events, urgent needs, opportunities, and tragedy. Similarly, COVID-19 was a catalyst for movement. According to U.S. Postal Service data, the pandemic increased relocations in 2020 by more than 94,000 compared with 2019.

Many recent moves have been anything but typical. The National Association of REALTORS®’ 2022 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers reported that the distance between the home buyers recently purchased and their previous residence, typically about 15 miles, jumped to 50 miles in 2022. Additional data showed that small towns and rural areas had the largest increase in homebuyer activity. What’s driving the change? And how can real estate practitioners pivot to navigate through it?

Something Different

After spending most of her life in New York City, Katie Krimer wanted a change of pace and scenery. In 2021, she moved to the smaller, less expensive city of Philadelphia. Not long after, a new world called.

Today, she lives on “Sleepy Goose Farm,” a nickname she and her husband coined for their 3.4-acre property in Ulster County, N.Y.

The home and attached barn, built in the 1850s, sit far back from the road, surrounded by trees. Krimer and her husband toured the home virtually. As her agent carried the camera through the grand entryway and up the wooden stairs, she knew immediately that she needed to make the move. It’s a far cry from the cobblestone streets of Philadelphia or the skyline of New York. “I knew I wanted quietness, and I knew I wanted more nature,” Krimer says.

Overall, NAR’s report found that affordability, proximity to family and more space were leading external factors for buyers. While these factors are consistent with previous years, a deeper look at one of the most lucrative groups of buyers reveals an extreme shift: Repeat buyers made major life swaps, says Jessica Lautz, NAR deputy chief economist and vice president of research. “When you look at your typical repeat buyer, they’re moving at a median distance of 90 miles,” much farther than in past research, she says. “This implies that people are looking for different things when it comes to neighborhood choices.”

According to Katrina Johnston-Zimmerman, Philadelphia-based anthropologist and founder of THINK.urban, the journey starts within.

“A lot of people felt a certain urgency for purpose in life, and to change the way they were living,” Zimmerman says of the pandemic-induced changes. “This was a cumulative and collective existential crisis. When you’re faced with something really, really up close —‘Am I happy?’—you’re forced to actually revisit it.”

Zimmerman cites the overall change in mindset from “working to live” toward more purpose-driven lifestyle decisions as a key shift.

No Longer Bound

Clearing the path for a change in mindset was the domination of the remote and hybrid work model. The virtual work-style impacted nearly 30 million workers through 2021, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau.

“The whole landscape of my industry has been completely transformed by COVID,” said Krimer, a licensed therapist who now works remotely.

Relatedly, NAR’s report sites that 33% of buyers listed convenience to a job as a key factor in their neighborhood choice, compared to 42% the year before. “The commute time in the laundry list of neighborhood choices has moved down the list,” says Lautz. “People’s convenience to their job is less important because you can easily work from home.”

And while migration has slowed since the height of the pandemic, NAR’s latest Migration Trends Report found that in 2022, towns like Ocala, Fla.; Tallahassee, Fla.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Savannah, Ga., continued to gain buyers and topped the list for net inward migration.

“They can work remotely, and they see Charlotte as being an incredible city to live in,” says Tiffany Johannes, CRS, GRI, general manager and broker in charge at RE/MAX Executive Carolinas in Charlotte. Buyers are drawn to the area’s affordability, entertainment, parks and quality schools. “Charlotte today sees about 100-plus people a day moving to our area,” adds Johannes, 2023 president of the Canopy REALTOR® Association.

Much of the migration has been to the suburbs and beyond. Overall, NAR analysis shows, small towns saw a 9 percentage point increase in sales, and rural areas saw an increase of 6 percentage points.

“When people move further out, it’s not necessarily just about having that extra land,” Johannes says.

Affordability was a factor even before the pandemic. And now many rural and suburban buyers are looking for places where they can have more curated and personal experiences. “They are finding value in a home that can have a workshop attached or a bigger garage, depending on what their hobbies are,” she notes.

These days, when she’s not working or renovating her fixer-upper home, Krimer finds balance through activities like painting, hiking and birdwatching. “I’m already starting to think about what landscaping stuff I can get into,” she says.

If You Build, They Will Come

Buyers like Katie Krimer are bringing new life to smaller towns, observes Chuck Petersheim, home builder and founder of Catskills Farms in Hudson Valley, N.Y.

After riding the wave of early pandemic uncertainty, Petersheim could see that buyers were investing big in outlier locations like Hudson Valley. “A little ripple became a wave, became a tidal wave … became a tsunami,” he says. Since the start of the pandemic, Catskills Farms has generated more than $40 million in sales, up from $8 million in 2019.

Areas like the Hudson Valley, once known for seasonal visitors, suddenly had a population looking to stay. According to a report from the Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, for the first time in more than a decade, the nine-county region gained more people in 2019–2020 than it lost.

“It wasn’t clear until the following year that this was sustainable,” says Petersheim of the sprawl he first felt in 2020. But as he built for full-time residents, new grocery stores, shops, and restaurants sprang up to meet the added demand.

Other smaller or rural areas like Williamson County, surrounding the booming tech hub of Austin, Texas, are also ramping up development activities to meet the needs of incoming buyers. The area’s strong internet broadband capabilities and home affordability placed it among areas like Forsythe County, Ga.; Douglas County, Colo.; and Delaware County, Ohio, on NAR’s list of top work-from-home counties—all areas that have continued to outpace the average in their states and across the country.

“I knew I wanted quietness, and I knew I wanted more nature.”

—Katie Krimer

According to Brandy Wuensch, GRI, broker-owner of City View Realty, there’s one other benefit that makes areas like Williamson County the apple of everyone’s eye.

“For new construction in Austin, you’re looking at builds of 18–24 months, whereas in Cedar Park or Leander in Williamson County, builders were able to turn over new-construction homes in six to eight months,” she said. This opened the gates for first-time buyers eyeing new homes without the high price tag or longer build times.

That’s not all: New neighborhoods in Williamson County tout solar panels, automated home features and high-fiber cabling. And developments like the 183 Revitalization project in Cedar Park are breaking ground for mini city centers.

Adapting to the Changes

Navigating through change isn’t new to Julia Hoagland, CRE. The New York broker and leader of the Julia Hoagland Team, Compass, forged through the aftermath of 9/11, the 2008 market crash, and now the COVID-19 pandemic. “Demand doesn’t stop accruing, it just stops executing while things are uncertain,” she says.

“There will always be people who want the dynamic nature of city centers,” Lautz says, “who wants to be able to pop down to their coffee shop or walk down the block to their favorite bar.” Real estate practitioners can stay ahead by broadening their marketing approach and tapping into the benefits of technology. “Our members have beefed up their skills in how they’re showcasing homes. I do think it matters more in a transitioning market,” she says, noting that more than 60% of sellers who moved 51–100 miles from their previous residence used a different real estate agent than the one they’d used before.

The way to stay valuable is to stay in the know. “Education, education, education,” Johaness says. Also, “get clients up to speed on what’s happening in communities they’re interested in,” she suggests.

“Follow the life changes of your clients. Identify which markets people, in theory, could move to,” Hoagland says. “Reach out to brokers in those areas, and ask to set up a referral relationship. We do a lot of referral business locally, nationally and internationally because we like to help people and, also, it’s good business for us. To the extent that we can embrace the dreams of our buyers and our contacts, even if they’re not in our market, that’s going to be meaningful.”

And it might not be long before grateful buyers are knocking on her door again. “What we’re feeling on the ground,” Hoagland says, “is that people are
coming back.”

Image by Sam Williams from Pixabay

©National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission