Two New Surveys Indicate Urban to Suburban Lean

There has been much talk around the possibility that Americans are feeling less enamored with the benefits of living in a large city and now may be longing for the open spaces that suburban and rural areas provide. In a recent _Realtor Magazine_ [article](https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2020/08/19/will-home-sales-keep-defying-expectations), they discussed the issue and addressed comments made by Lawrence Yun, _Chief Economist_ for the _National Association of Realtors_ (NAR): > _“While migration trends were toward urban centers before the pandemic, real estate thought leaders have predicted a suburban resurgence as home buyers seek more space for social distancing. Now the data is supporting that theory. Coronavirus and work-from-home flexibility is sparking the trend reversal, Yun said. More first-time home buyers and minorities have also been looking to the suburbs for affordability, he added.”_ NAR surveyed agents across the country asking them to best describe the locations where their clients are looking for homes (they could check multiple answers). Here are the results of the survey: - 47% suburban/subdivision - 39% rural area - 25% small town - 14% urban area/central city - 13% resort community/recreational area According to real estate agents, there’s a strong preference for less populated locations such as suburban and rural areas. #### **Real Estate Brokers and Owners Agree** _Zelman & Associates_ surveys brokers and owners of real estate firms for their monthly _Real Estate Brokers Report_. The last report revealed that **68% see either a ‘moderate’ or ‘significant’ shift to more suburban locations**. Here are the results of the survey:[](https://i0.wp.com/cherylbowerrealestate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/20200914-MEM-Eng-1.jpg?ssl=1) ### **Bottom Line** No one knows if this will be a short-term trend or an industry game-changer. For now, there appears to be a migration to more open environments. Posted in [For Buyers](https://cherylbowerrealestate.com/category/for-buyers/), [For Sellers](https://cherylbowerrealestate.com/category/for-sellers/), [Housing Market Updates](https://cherylbowerrealestate.com/category/housing-market-updates/)