Comparing Hitwise Data
Hitwise.com is an analytics firm constantly combing data for gems like the chart above. In this particular chart, you can see queries for “homes for sale” versus “apartments for rent” and the reason this is intriguing is that query data going back over the past five years has been an almost dead-on indicator for the real estate market. That said, is data showing that despite a spike in interest in homes for sale in February and again around April that “apartments for rent” surging is a swing in the pendulum? Sure, why not?
Who This Benefits
Who benefits from a leveling of the interest in “homes for sale” versus “apartments for rent”? REITS or Multi-family investors are likely to glow at this news, as are their agents. What you might not be thinking about is the people searching for “apartments for rent” are the lookie-lous of yesteryear. The days of starry eyed “I wanna look at 40 homes for fun then drop you as an agent because I wasn’t *really* going to buy” are over. For now, at least.
People are discouraged and while that perception is often wrong (Austin is an example of a thriving city where people are still scared due to national news), could this be a weeding out of the people who should be discouraged? Those who can’t qualify under new mortgage rules anyhow? Those who want to look two years in advance? Those that have no money to put down? Those that think they can afford $200k when really they only qualify for $80k?
We’ll see what this indicates in terms of behavior in the long run. My feeling is that people are comparing the two options right now which is another possible reason for an equal interest in the U.S. between apartments and homes. What do you think this raw data could mean?
