5 Myths About Real Estate Reality TV Explained

Have you ever been flipping through the channels, only to find yourself glued to the couch in an HGTV binge session? We’ve all been there… watching entire seasons of “Love it or List it,” “Fixer Upper,” “House Hunters,” “Property Brothers,” and so many more, just in one sitting.

When you’re in the middle of your real estate themed show marathon, you might start to think that everything you see on TV must be how it works in real life, but you may need a reality check.

Reality TV Show Myths vs. Real Life:

Myth #1: Buyers look at 3 homes and make a decision to purchase one of them.
Truth: There may be buyers who fall in love and buy the first home they see, but according to the National Association of Realtors the average homebuyer tours 10 homes as a part of their search.

Myth #2: The houses the buyers are touring are still for sale.
Truth: The reality is being staged for TV. Many of the homes being shown are already sold and are off the market.

Myth #3: The buyers haven’t made a purchase decision yet.
Truth: Since there is no way to show the entire buying process in a 30-minute show, TV producers often choose buyers who are further along in the process and have already chosen a home to buy.

Myth #4: If you list your home for sale, it will ALWAYS sell at the Open House.
Truth: Of course this would be great! Open houses are important to guarantee the most exposure to buyers in your area, but are only a PIECE of the overall marketing of your home. Just realize that many homes are sold during regular listing appointments as well.

Myth #5: Homeowners make a decision about selling their home after a 5-minute conversation.
Truth: Similar to the buyers portrayed on the shows, many of the sellers have already spent hours deliberating the decision to list their homes and move on with their lives/goals.

Having an experienced professional on your side while navigating the real estate market is the best way to guarantee that you can make the home of your dreams a reality!

What Would a Millennial Baby Boom Mean for Housing?

Recently released data from the National Center for Health Statistics revealed that 1.3 million Millennial women gave birth for the first time in 2015. There are now over 16 million women in this generation who have become mothers.

“All told, Millennial women (those born between 1981 to 1997) accounted for about eight in ten (82%) of U.S. births in 2015.”

The data also shows that this generation has waited until later in life to become parents as only 42% of Millennial women were moms in 2014, compared to 49% of Generation X at the same age. A Pew Research Center article discussing the data, points to social influences that may have contributed to the delay:

“The rising age at first birth is hardly limited to the Millennial generation. It has been a trend since at least 1970. Many factors may contribute, including a shift away from marriage, increasing educational attainment and the movement of women into the labor force.”

Do Millennials Want to Be Parents?

“While Millennials may be delaying parenthood, it’s not for a lack of interest in eventually becoming moms and dads. Members of this generation rated being a good parent as a top priority in a 2010 Pew Research Center survey.   

Some 52% said it was one of the most important goals in their lives, well ahead of having a successful marriage, which 30% said was one of their most important lifetime goals.”
  

So, What Does This Mean for the Housing Market?

As Jonathan Smoke, Chief Economist for realtor.com explained:

“At any given time in our history, demographics would explain 60-80% of what’s happening [in the market], and we are in a period of time where Millennials make up a largest demographic group.” 

As more and more Millennial families are formed, this generation will shift their focus to providing the best home for their children to grow up in, the best school districts, and often to the stability that owning a home of their own provides.

Two-thirds of Millennials have not yet reached the average first-time home buying age of 32, as reported by the National Association of Realtor. The homeownership rate amongst Millennials has nowhere to go but up!

Millennials as a generation have delayed traditional social norms until later in their lives. Whether getting married, having children or buying a home, the desire to provide for their family is still there, even if it takes a little while longer than it did for previous generations.

Market Statistics Report

Institute for Luxury Home Marketing - Weekly Housing Report - January 9, 2017

The ILHM National Report this week looked at 19678 luxury homes on the market. The ILHM Luxury Composite Price this week is $1,578,254. These homes have been on the market for an average of 189 days.

The Market Action Index measures available supply relative to the current level of demand. Index value above 30 indicates conditions favor the seller. See the section below for full details.

PRICE

Luxury home prices across the ILHM National sample have stayed relatively stable in recent weeks. This week median price is $1,578,254.

PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT

Price per square foot gives us a view to changes in how luxury homes are valued as well as how they're being constructed. Currently median price per square foot in the luxury homes is $422.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Residential prices are a function of supply and demand, and market conditions can be characterized by analyzing those factors. Watch this index for sustained trends and an early view on coming price changes.

The ILHM National market is currently in the Buyer's Market zone (below 30), though not strongly so. The Market Action Index stands this week at 28 so luxury buyers should expect to find reasonable levels of selection.

INVENTORY

This chart illustrates the total number of homes in the ILHM sample each week. These are homes on the market for at least $500,000 in the top 10 zip codes for 31 major metro markets around the county.

DAYS ON MARKET (DOM)

The properties have been on the market for an average of 171 days.

LUXURY BY REGION

A look at the local luxury markets around the country.