Are Most Online Home Shoppers Just Window Shopping?

In purchasing a home there are those who are truly interested in making an actual purchase when they home shop online and those who are just looking for fun. Sometimes there are people who are both buyers and browsers meaning that they aren’t seriously considering a home, but if they come across something they really love then they will become serious.

What Recent Data Shows About Online Home Shoppers

A recent CivicScience study was conducted and it showed that 35% of American adults surveyed said that they use Zillow just for the fun of looking at homes. Survey results showed that people often browse just to see what’s on the market, how big the yards are in a certain neighborhood, and who is trying to sell a home for more than it’s worth. About 12% of those surveyed said they use the site only when actually planning to purchase or sell a home, and 14% of Americans do not use Zillow whatsoever.

Zillow is noted as one of the top home listing search websites and it is said to attract more than half of adults living in America. Previous survey results have found that the Zillow website is the most preferred online search engine for both home sales and rentals when beginning an online real estate website search.

But something interesting has also been shown in survey data, in that not everyone who uses the Zillow website actually trusts the information they find there. Some research conducted has found that of all the people that use Zillow, about 19% are legitimate buyers or sellers and that only 11% of the people who use it for legitimate purposes trust the accuracy of its well-known Zestimate tool. Zillow has stated that it’s home value estimating tool should not replace a professional appraisal.

Somewhere around 21% of current homeowners say that they have used Zillow to home shop or will consider using it when they go to buy or sell a home. Research has shown that adults who are still living with their parents in America are the most likely to browse Zillow for fun with a potential intent of taking action on a real estate transaction. Research has found that Generation Z is the predominant user of Zillow and also the most likely generation to hop on the website for more than one purpose. The older someone is, the more likely they are to just use the online real estate listing site for casual browsing.

Though the home estimate tool on the Zillow website is not very trusted, many homebuyers begin their search using this website and many other websites. It is very important now more than ever when selling a home with the most success, to make sure that your online listing is of the highest quality. The best way to ensure your online listing will reach more buyers and be more appealing to a wider set of buyers is to work with an expert real estate agent that knows what current buyers in your area are looking for and how to market your home in the best way possible through its online listing.

For more information on purchasing a home in Portland and surrounding areas, such as Lake Oswego, please contact us anytime.