They say “Home Is Where The Heart Is,” but without a homebuyer survey, it can be difficult to understand just what type of property may tickle a potential buyers’ fancy. Of course, the housing market has been a challenge across much of the globe lately, with home transaction activity staying relatively flat in 2024. To better understand what’s going on and where buyers and sellers are at, many banks, lenders, developers, and Realtors have been using homebuyer surveys and home seller surveys. In this blog, we explore how these real estate questionnaires work and the benefits of using them.
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The Housing Market Today
In 2024, high mortgage rates and limited housing inventory strained affordability in many regions. In the United States, for example, average 30-year mortgage rates hovered above 6%, while home prices remained high due to persistent inventory shortages. This affordability crisis discouraged many first-time buyers, pushing some to explore single-family rentals as an alternative. Globally, economic uncertainty and inflation also impacted housing demand. In Europe, similar affordability issues exist, particularly in urban hubs, though some markets benefit from stabilizing inflation and government policies aimed at improving affordability. In emerging markets, population growth and urbanization drove demand, but rising construction costs posed barriers. While these same issues will linger in 2025, easing mortgage rates could bring relief to buyers, potentially increasing sales and improving affordability.
Differences Between Home Buying & Selling Surveys
For the purposes of this blog, we’re not talking about home survey inspections, in which a qualified surveyor identifies potential problems with a home during the selling or buying process. These are differences between home buying and home selling surveys, however. A home buying survey provides valuable data that influences marketing, sales strategies, and policy development across the real estate ecosystem. A home selling survey is designed to gather feedback, opinions, or data from homeowners, buyers, or real estate agents about the process of selling a home. Because buyers represent the larger audience in real estate transactions, home buying surveys are generally used more frequently than home selling surveys/ The professionals who use these real estate tools want to focus heavily on understanding buyer needs, preferences, and behaviors to align listings with demand. Understanding buyers also helps professionals involved in the transaction to tailor their strategies, such as pricing, staging, and marketing, to buyer needs. Surveys can also reveal trends in what buyers prioritize, like energy efficiency or proximity to amenities. Lastly, real estate agencies frequently use buyer feedback to evaluate and improve their services, such as the quality of listings, the showing process, and negotiation practices.
7 Users Of Homebuyer Surveys And Why They Use Them
Here’s a look at who typically uses these homebuyer (and to a lesser extent, home selling) surveys:
1. Real Estate Agents and Agencies
Agents and agencies use these real estate surveys to understand buyer and seller preferences, priorities, and budget constraints. Based on what they learn from a Realtor survey, they can tailor property recommendations and improve client services.
2. Property Developers
Planners and builders will use real estate developer surveys to assess market demand for specific property types, features, and locations. This helps to inform design, amenities, and pricing strategies for new developments.
3. Mortgage Lenders and Financial Institutions
Lenders and others in the financial world use these surveys to evaluate buyer readiness and preferences for financing options. Based on the feedback, they will then develop mortgage products that cater to buyer needs.
4. Market Research Firms
Researchers will use the results of these surveys to analyze trends in home buying and selling behavior to identify emerging market opportunities. The reports they generate can be supplied to, or sold to, industry stakeholders or policymakers.
5. Government and Housing Authorities
The government and housing authority will turn to home buying surveys in order to gather data for housing policies, affordability programs, and urban planning. This helps to shape initiatives that address housing shortages and affordability challenges.
6. Online Real Estate Platforms
To enhance user experiences, online platforms will use surveys to tailor property suggestions based on responses. Often, they will simply feed the data into AI-driven recommendation systems so that buyers can easily find what they need.
7. Individual Homebuyers and Sellers
Surprise! The homebuyer or home seller may use the surveys themselves! These often come in the form of self-assessment tools offered by agencies or websites to assist in their decision-making.
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Pros & Cons Of Using Homebuyer Surveys
Using a homebuyer survey is almost always beneficial for gaining insight. While pros outweigh cons in most cases, there are some issues that surveyors should be aware of when using them.
Pros of a Homebuyer Survey
Surveys offer many benefits for those in the home buying market. Most online surveys, like those offered by SurveyLegend, are customizable and scalable. They can be easily adapted for different audiences or property types. Plus, delivering them online (via email, text, or social) allows for wide distribution, which is ideal as some potential buyers could be from out of state or even out of the country. This allows survey users to reach more buyers at a low cost. As already mentioned, home buying surveys give industry professionals a better understanding of buyer needs. They provide detailed insights into what buyers are looking for in a property. They also allow real estate professionals or developers to tailor offerings to align with demand, and can help inform marketing campaigns, leading to more efficient lead generation. Finally, when it comes time to buy, the surveys may have already identified challenges or obstacles, which can be eliminated to provide better service and a focus on properties that match the buyer’s preferences, saving valuable time. And, by engaging buyers in the process, professionals can build trust and rapport which any Realtor will tell you is key to making a deal.
Cons of a Homebuyer Survey
Any negatives associated with home buying surveys generally are due to poor survey design. For example, questions may not be worded well, leading respondents to provide vague or inaccurate answers. Poorly designed surveys can also lead to survey fatigue, which discourages participation and results in low response rates. Read more about survey fatigue in our blog “What Is Survey Fatigue & 10 Ways To Combat It.” Survey bias can also hinder results. For example, buyers may be tempted to give socially desirable answers rather than their true preferences (for example, stating that they are open to purchase a home in a less desirable neighborhood when in actuality they would not consider it, or saying they’re open to spending $500K when in reality their budget is only about half of that). Read more in our blog “Different Types of Survey Bias & How To Avoid Them.” Finally, online home buying surveys are dependent on “digital literacy.” While younger generations are technically savvy, they’re also less likely to be buying homes right now due to limited finances. On the other hand, older buyers with the financial means who may be downsizing once the children have moved out may be less comfortable with digital platforms.
Homebuyer Survey Questions
Here’s a look at some survey questions to consider including on a homebuyer survey. Want more ideas? Check out our blog “24 Questions For Real Estate Surveys.” Homebuyer Property Preferences:
- What type of property are you looking for?
- How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need?
- Do you require a backyard or pool?
Location Factors:
- Do you prefer urban, suburban, or rural locations?
- How important is proximity to schools, work, or public transport?
- Do you have specific neighborhoods in mind?
Budget and Financing:
- What is your budget for purchasing a property?
- Are you pre-approved for a mortgage?
- How much of a down payment can you put down?
Decision Influences:
- Are you planning to buy a move-in ready property or one that needs renovation?
- Are you open to a Home Owner’s Association (HOA) membership?
- Do you have concerns about insurance based on the areas you’re looking at?
Experience and Challenges:
- Have you faced any difficulties in your home search?
- How would you rate your experience with real estate agents or property listings?
- How was the lending process?
Miscellaneous (After Purchase):
- What made the property you purchased appealing to you?
- Was the home accurately described in listings?
- Have you discovered problems or issues with the home since closing?
Home Selling Survey Questions
General Information:
- What is your main reason for selling your home? (Relocation, downsizing, financial reasons, etc.)
- How did you determine the listing price for your home? (Comps, upgrades, etc.)
- Are you in a deed restricted area?
Experience with Selling:
- Did you use a real estate agent or sell the property yourself? (Used an agent, sold independently, used an online service)
- How long did your home stay on the market before it sold?
- Did you get an acceptable amount of offers with your current listing price?
Challenges Faced:
- What was the biggest challenge in selling? (Pricing, finding buyers, paperwork, etc.)
- Was staging or preparing your home for sale difficult?
- Was the appraisal process easy? How about the inspection process?
Marketing and Advertising:
- What methods were most effective in attracting buyers? (Online listings, open houses, word of mouth, etc.)
- Did you invest in professional photography?
- Did you consider hosting virtual tours online?
Satisfaction and Recommendations:
- How satisfied were you with the selling process? (Scale: 1–5)
- Would you recommend your agent/service to others?
- Would you recommend your mortgage company to others?
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Homebuyer Survey Example
Here’s a look at a homebuying survey created using SurveyLegend. You’ll notice that we’ve used a variety of types of survey questions to keep the respondent engaged, have added a company logo to the top for authenticity, and used an appropriate home-buying image in the background. Of course this is just one example; with SurveyLegend you have unlimited options and freedom! Read more in our blog “12 Different Types of Survey Questions With Examples.”
Conclusion
A real estate survey for buying or selling can be excellent tools for gathering data and improving buyer-focused strategies. Of course, survey effectiveness depends on careful design, clear questions, and proper follow-up. Thankfully, SurveyLegend makes it all easy! Our online surveys, whether used for market research, client feedback, or strategic planning, aid in the process of buying and selling homes. Our surveys are simple to create, offer a plethora of customization options, and provide robust analysis at the conclusion of the survey. They can also appear as professional, or as fun, as you like! Get started today for free!
Create Your FREE Homebuyer or Seller Survey or Questionnaire Now!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Such surveys are invaluable for refining the services offered to buyers, aligning property options with market demand, and smoothing the home-buying process.
Home selling surveys are valuable for understanding seller challenges, evaluating agent performance, and refining marketing strategies, however they’re often used internally by agencies to optimize how homes are listed and sold versus going out to the general public, making them less prolific than buyer surveys.
To maximize response rates and get the most accurate insights, keep your survey short and relevant. Always use clear, unbiased language, and consider offering incentives (like a market report) to encourage participation. Finally, supplement surveys with follow-up interviews for deeper insights.
