SEATTLE, Feb. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Love is in the
air this Valentine's Day, at least when it comes to home. A new
surveyi from Zillow finds 80% of Americans say they love
their home. However, finding a home is a lot more challenging in
today's hypercompetitive and rapidly appreciating housing
market. About one-third of recent moversii (34%) say
it's harder to find a house to buy than a spouse, yet most say
shopping for a home is more enjoyable.
Women are more likely than men to say shopping for a home is
more enjoyable than dating; 62% compared to 39% of men. Some
psychologists believe looking at for-sale listings can create
a mood-boosting chemical reaction in the brain similar to the
excitement of a romantic relationship, a phenomenon parodied on
SNL. During the pandemic, a record number of users surfed
Zillow to escape the stress of their lives and dream of the
possibilities a move could bring.
"The way we shop for homes is in many ways similar to the way we
meet romantic partners," said Zillow home trends expert
Amanda Pendleton. "Both involve wish
lists, compromises and deal breakers, and much of the legwork
happens online. But unlike dating apps, tools like interactive
floor plans and virtual 3D home tours mean fewer home shoppers
are disappointed when they see a home in person for the first time.
Perhaps that's one reason this survey found that far more people
think they'll be successful using an app to find a home to buy
(76%) than to find a romantic partner (24%)."
Another reason may be expectations. Most people (62%) say their
wish list for a romantic partner is more difficult to satisfy than
their wish list for a home (38%), and 61% say they have more deal
breakers when it comes to choosing a partner. Two-thirds of
Americans are more willing to compromise on qualities in a home to
buy (67%) than qualities in a romantic partner (33%).
Still, most people are romantics at heart, at least when it
comes to their home. Nearly 3 in 4 Americans believe they could
fall in love at first sight with a home (73%), while more than half
believe they could fall in love at first sight with a person (54%).
While 65% of singles would consider moving to improve their dating
prospects, 84% say they would consider moving in order to buy a
home.
Once they find it, most people love their home (80%). The most
common reasons people love their home are the memories associated
with it (82%), and their home's location, neighborhood or neighbors
(77%). Tools like Zillow's travel-time function, walk score and
transit score can help shoppers choose a neighborhood they'll
love. As with dating, finding "the one" in today's housing
market may be tough, but shoppers can take steps to land their
dream home with the right partners, preparation and
persistence.
About Zillow Group
Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: Z and ZG) is reimagining real estate
to make it easier to unlock life's next chapter.
As the most visited real estate website in the United States, Zillow® and its affiliates
offer customers an on-demand experience for selling, buying,
renting or financing with transparency and nearly seamless
end-to-end service. Zillow Home Loans™, our affiliate lender,
provides our customers with an easy option to get pre-approved and
secure financing for their next home purchase. Zillow recently
launched Zillow Homes, Inc., a licensed brokerage entity, to
streamline Zillow Offers transactions.
Zillow Group's brands, affiliates and subsidiaries include
Zillow®; Zillow Offers®; Zillow Premier Agent®; Zillow Home Loans™;
Zillow Closing Services™; Zillow Homes, Inc.; Trulia®; Out East®;
StreetEasy® and HotPads®. Zillow Home Loans, LLC is an Equal
Housing Lender, NMLS #10287 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org).
i Zillow Group Population Science conducted a
nationally representative survey of U.S. adults. The
survey, fielded in mid-January
2022, asked 2,047 adults to gauge the ease, enjoyment, and
their overall sentiments about dating and home shopping.
ii Recent movers are defined as those who say they have
moved in the past two years.
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SOURCE Zillow