Welcome to the Second Part of our Three Part Series: 6 Key House Hunting Trends and Opportunities that Search Reveals.
Searching for Mobile Homes
The dream of home ownership is still a huge thing, but people are searching for different types of homes. They are shifting from buying large and spacious homes to smaller and versatile homes that are often mobile. Mobile homes are increasing in popularity as more and more aim for financial freedom.
- Since 2011, searches related to “mobile homes” have been rising
- Since 2004, the tiny house movement interest has been on the rise
- Over the past decade, searches for “townhouse” and “loft” have declined and continue to do so
Down-sizing retirees and sky-high real estate values are driving interest in mobile homes and trailer-living, according to The Wall Street Journal.
These mobile homes are different than the mobile homes of the past era, however. These homes are modern and upscale, attracting buyers with high-end features and amenities.
A Picture of These Mobile Home Buyers
Data from Google search further reveals “mobile home” buyer demographics:
- People who search for “small house” typically have a DIY independent spirit. They are three times more likely to search for garden information, eight times more likely to search for woodwork information, and four times more likely to search for knitting.
- People who search for “mobile home” generally prefer the outdoors. They are four times more likely to search for “bird watching,” four times more likely to search for “outdoor,” and five times more likely to search for “hiking.”
Understanding these common interests can help inform marketing messages, cross-promotion, events, and other marketing opportunities.
Potential Buyers Consider Interior Design Immediately
People start thinking about how to decorate their new home well before they actually purchase a home. Many people who search for property listings for sale also search for interior design inspiration. Someone who is searching for a property listing is four times more likely to search for furniture than someone who isn’t.
New and Existing Home Buyers
It’s not just new home buyers who are looking to decorate a home, however. Many homeowners want to upgrade in order to increase their home’s value. Both new buyers and existing owners find inspiration on the internet. Sixty-eight percent of people who finished a home improvement project between October and December 2013 started their project by searching online, according to a January 2014 Google Consumer survey.
Video and mobile Google platforms are seeing this trend play out:
- YouTube home improvement videos grew 35% year on year in July 2014, and watch time was up by 77%.
- Homemaking and interior décor YouTube views grew 62% year on year in June 2014
- Home project questions from mobile grew 69% year on year versus 11% on desktop computers.
Vintage Home Decorators
Instead of flashy, standard designs, people are searching for unique, vintage décor. They’re gravitating to vintage furniture and accessories that others don’t have. More people are interested in “antique” and “vintage” styles of furniture than any other category, according to Google search data.
If people cannot get what they want or if what they want is too costly, they “fake it” or do it themselves. “How to make furniture look vintage” is one of the most popular questions on Google when it comes to vintage style furniture.
Now that you have greater insight into how home buyers are behaving and thinking, check out our next post: Six Keys to Identifying Opportunities with Today’s Home Buyers.