The new financial year is presenting property hunters not only with rising values but also the evolving wish lists of buyers and renters. Property portals can pinpoint what home hunters want by analysing how frequently certain keywords appear during online searches. And recent surveys are showing that buyer and renter requirements and priorities have shifted since lockdowns and social restrictions changed the way they live and work. Growing in importance are certain home comforts and lifestyle features. Additionally, residential real estate agents and buyers’ agents are finding home offices and studies – simply having enough space to be able to work comfortably from home –ranking among most important buyer requirements. So whether you’re a real estate agent, buyers’ agent or home hunter, such knowledge is power: it can be handy knowing which property features are most sought-after, as they will likely be those that prove most popular with future buyers and renters as well as add most value down the track.
Garage, swimming pool
Air conditioning, swimming pool
Air conditioning, garage
Air conditioning, dishwasher
Balcony, garage
Ensuite, garage
Paddocks
Built-in robes, outdoor area
Shed, swimming pool
Flood
With rising temperatures and weather patterns increasingly unpredictable, it stands to reason that combinations of “garage, swimming pool and air conditioning” made up the top keyword searches in the past 12 months. Outdoor areas and ventilation also featured highly among prospective buyers as people hanker for an enhanced and more comfortable home life. Rose Buyers Agents is finding the same for pet-friendly spaces, regardless of whether a property is bought with the intention of becoming the buyer’s permanent residence or a rental investment.
Renters want similar features to buyers but have different priorities.
Furnished, pet friendly
pet friendly, swimming pool
furnished, swimming pool
air conditioning, dishwasher, heating
air conditioning, built-in robes
built-in robes, dishwasher
air conditioning, garage pet friendly
built-in robes, garage
air conditioning, ensuite
air conditioning, garage
We can thank online property listings not only for revealing such intel as the above but also making home hunting exceedingly fast and efficient. Unlike the past when a property search meant trawling brief descriptions in newspapers or brochures, modern online property portals deliver home hunters an extremely quick snapshot or a property accompanied by vast amounts of detail. Online listings carry a wealth of data from sales histories and suburb descriptions to extensive photo galleries and virtual property tours. Google maps and Google Earth can be utilised for further insights such as proximity to parks, schools, major roads and transport networks. Zoom in on Google Earth and do your own virtual tour of neighbourhood streets.
But as wonderful as online searches are, they also have limitations. Once a buyer sets their sights on a property they found online, the only way they will truly know if it matches their needs and desires is via a physical inspection. This can be done either in person or by engaging a representative such as buyer’s agent – but either way it must be done. Nothing can replace experiencing a property in person. This is how to know whether it feels right, whether the photos are telling the truth, or have failed to reveal some major fault. Also, despite the wonders of Google Earth it is only as up-to-date and accurate as the last time its cameras circulated in the area in which you’re looking.
At the end of the day, the message is to, by all means, take full advantage of online property portals and their treasure chests of information. But bear in mind that these online searches do not fall into the same category as research. This box can only be ticked when due diligence is carried out during and after a physical inspection and deep analysis, preferably with the help of a professional representative.