SEATTLE, May 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --
- About two-thirds of Zillow survey respondents say they're
working from a room that's not a dedicated home office.
- Most Americans working from home say they'd consider a move if
allowed to work remotely long-term, and many of those have a
dedicated office -- or at least more space to help find a quiet
spot to work -- at the top of their wishlist.
- Listings mentioning a home office have jumped about 10% since
April 2019.
The sudden and unexpected shift to remote work for many
Americans has put a premium on walls, doors and extra space as
millions search for a quiet and comfortable place to work. A new
survey from Zillow® found a majority are making do without a
dedicated home office for now, and many say they'll consider a move
to a home with more space if working remotely becomes a long-term
reality.
A third of respondents in a recent Zillow survey[i] report
working from a home office currently, with the rest forced to
repurpose another area of their home such as a living room, dining
room or bedroom into an office space. Working out of a shared space
that's not designed to support long hours in front of a computer
can bring distractions and other frustrations -- especially as open
concept layouts have soared in popularity in the past few years --
suddenly putting a premium on a quiet, separated workspace.
For that reason, additional Zillow survey data[ii] show most
Americans working from home due to COVID-19 are reimagining what
they want in a home and would ultimately consider moving if given
the flexibility to continue working remotely after the pandemic
subsides. When asked why they would consider a move, the top
reasons revolved around a home's characteristics, not its location
or affordability. The most common responses were to live in a home
with a dedicated office space or to live in a larger home, while
the reasons cited least often had to do with where homes were
located -- moving to a more- or less-dense area, or near a vacation
destination.
Zillow search traffic trends seem to back up these results. Many
Americans appear to be considering a move for a home with their
desired features, as Zillow traffic on for-sale listings was up
almost 50% from last year in mid-May[iii], but location preferences
do not appear to have changed much. The share of those views going
to urban, suburban and rural listings has barely changed since
last year.
"In thinking about the long-term effects of the COVID-19
pandemic, remote work stands out as perhaps the biggest change
agent," said Skylar Olsen, senior
principal economist at Zillow. "Changes in the options available to
us can shift our preferences and decision making. Remote work
allows for precious time savings without a commute and potentially
more affordable living away from job centers, but it can come with
productivity and sanity costs without the proper tools. Those costs
can be mitigated by certain home features, namely a quiet and
secluded place to work, so we may see a growing premium on homes
with room for an office or other place to comfortably work, which
could in turn shift the types of new homes that come on the
market."
Sellers seem to be getting wise to this shift in preferences --
a home office was mentioned in 8.2% of all for-sale listings in
April, about a 10% jump from the previous year -- and they may
begin to affect the types of new homes built in the future. Pyatt
Builders has already seen dedicated home office spaces grow in
popularity and expects that growth to continue, while Berks Homes
expects future home offices to be kept separate from other spaces
with more insulation for better privacy. When considering a home
office space in a new home or as part of a remodel, Zillow Design
Expert Kerrie Kelly recommends prioritizing natural light and
ventilation.
Telecommuting is, of course, only an option for some -- the Pew
Research Center estimated 40% of American workers held jobs in
February that could potentially be performed remotely -- and it
remains to be seen how many employers will adopt more flexible
remote work policies when they reopen their workplaces. Any
noticeable shifts in the housing market from a growing desire for a
home office space would likely happen slowly over many years if
recent trends hold moving forward.
Reasons
Respondents Are Likely to Consider Moving, If Given the Option to
Work From Home
|
Reason
|
%
Selected
|
To live in a home
with a dedicated office space
|
31%
|
To live in a larger
home
|
30%
|
To live closer to
friends and/or family
|
29%
|
To live in a home
with more rooms
|
29%
|
To live in a more
affordable home
|
28%
|
To live in a home
with more outdoor space
|
27%
|
To live in a
less-dense area with fewer neighbors
|
25%
|
To live in/nearby a
vacation destination
|
20%
|
To live in a
more-dense area with more neighbors
|
15%
|
Other
|
3%
|
About Zillow
Zillow, the top real estate website in
the U.S., is building an on-demand real estate experience. Whether
selling, buying, renting or financing, customers can turn to
Zillow's businesses to find and get into their next home with
speed, certainty and ease.
In addition to for-sale and rental listings, Zillow Offers buys
and sells homes directly in dozens of markets across the country,
allowing sellers control over their timeline. 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.
Millions of people visit Zillow Group sites every month to start
their home search, and now they can rely on Zillow to help them
finish it — with the same confidence, ease and empowerment they've
come to expect from real estate's most trusted brand.
Launched in 2006, Zillow is owned and operated by Zillow Group,
Inc. (NASDAQ:Z and ZG) and headquartered in Seattle.
Zillow and Zillow Offers are registered trademarks of Zillow,
Inc.
[i] These results reflect the responses to a survey conducted by
Zillow between April 17-21. The 171
respondents were Zillow customers and agent partners and do not
comprise a nationally representative sample.
[ii] This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf
of Zillow from May 4-6, 2020 among
2,065 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not
based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of
theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey
methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample
sizes, please contact press@zillow.com.
[iii] As of the seven days ending May
17, including all page views of for-sale homes on Zillow.com
and the Zillow app, and excluding those from real estate agents and
other professional users.
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SOURCE Zillow