What Do Today's Home Buyers and Home Sellers Look Like?
Louisiana Realtors • November 29, 2018
Before any big game a coaching staff will look at film of an opponent to gain a better understanding of their tendencies. Having the knowledge of what they like to do, and what they don’t like to do can pay dividends when it comes to formulating a successful strategy. As a REALTOR®, your clients and prospects aren’t “opponents”, and you don’t have film to watch of their buying habits; but you do have research and statistics that can give a nice glimpse into what a typical home buyer or home seller looks like. While there are exceptions to every rule, having a current grasp on how people shop for real estate can be an advantage.
Today’s Home Buyers
· 33% of home buyers today are first-time home buyers.
· The average household income of home buyers is $91,600.
· The median purchase of a home today is $250,000.
· Over half (51%) of homes bought today are in a suburban area.
· 82% of homes purchased are single-family homes.
· 87% of all home buyers use a real estate agent.
Today Home Sellers
· 44% of home sellers are moving into a larger home.
· The median equity gain for today’s home seller is $55,000.
· Home sellers have been in their home for an average of 9 years.
· The distance between their current home and new home is 20 miles.
· 91% of home sellers are using a real estate agent, an all-time high.
While these are current numbers destined change and be influenced by a number of variables, they provide valuable insight into both sides of the market are behaving. As these numbers move and trends continue to evolve, one thing is clear and that is the role that a trusted, knowledgeable, professional REALTOR® plays on both sides of the transaction.
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By: Eric Landry, Breazeale Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P. Louisiana REALTORS® Legal Counsel Below are highlights of the changes to mandatory forms effective January 1, 2026. Louisiana Residential Agreement to Buy or Sell: Specific Changes Overall, several changes were made to re-order the agreement in an effort to have the agreement more closely track the sequence of events in a typical transaction. This resulted in relocation of several sections and corresponding changes to line number references in various places throughout the agreement.
