SANTA CLARA, Calif.,
Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- September marks National Preparedness Month, a time when
Americans are reminded and encouraged to take steps to prepare for
emergencies. For many people, a home is their largest asset and as
natural disasters become more common, keeping it and themselves
safe is an increasing concern. A new survey from
Realtor.com® found that 78% of recent home
buyers took natural disasters into account when choosing the
location of their new home.
Majority of recent homebuyers say the threat of natural disasters
influences their housing decisions - Realtor.com®
The survey of 3,026 consumers, which was conducted online by
HarrisX in July 2021, found that 62%
of homeowners are concerned about the threat of natural disasters,
and that number was even higher for recent home buyers (75%) and
among millennials (72%).
Natural disasters that are most concerning to homeowners
include: tornadoes (39%), severe cold or winter storms (38%),
floods (35%), hurricanes (29%), earthquakes (21%), wildfires (17%),
droughts (11%) and sinkholes (8%). Homeowners in rural and suburban
communities were most concerned about tornadoes and severe
cold/winter storms, while flooding was a top concern for those in
urban areas.
"Natural disasters can have enormous impacts on communities and
homeowners, and with increased frequency and intensity of
weather-related events, National Preparedness Month is a good
reminder of how important it is to be prepared," said Realtor.com®
Chief Marketing Officer Mickey
Neuberger. "Our mission is to help bring people home, but
it's also about helping people when their home is damaged or lost
after disaster strikes, which is why Realtor.com®
recently made a $200,000 commitment
to help aid in disaster response efforts."
With natural disasters becoming more frequent and severe, nearly
half (47%) of consumers are more concerned today about the threat
of natural disasters to homeownership compared to five years ago;
44% said their level of concern is unchanged and only 9% feel less
concerned.
For some, the threat of future natural disasters could impact
their decision about whether to move or sell their home. One-third
(34%) of surveyed consumers would consider proactively selling
their home, moving or both to avoid future natural disasters, while
66% said they aren't considering either.
To help buyers make good home buying decisions and increase
awareness about a home's flood risks, which are among the most
common and costly disasters in the U.S.,
Realtor.com® was the first listing portal to
include flood risk information on for-sale and off-market
properties. As of August 2020, all
properties on Realtor.com® now display a
Flood Factor® – developed by the First
Street Foundation – with a score between one (minimal risk) and 10
(extreme risk) that represents its cumulative risk of flooding over
a traditional 30-year mortgage.
Over the past year, site users have viewed flood information on
Realtor.com® more than 150 million times.
The feature is heavily viewed on properties in hurricane-prone
states like Florida and
Texas, as well as in states all
along the eastern seaboard.
While being prepared can't prevent a disaster it can help
homeowners recover faster; when asked how prepared they were for a
natural disaster specific to their area, two thirds (68%) of
surveyed consumers said they were very or somewhat prepared and
less than one third (32%) said they were only somewhat or very
unprepared.
To bring help and hope to those who are impacted by natural
disasters, Realtor.com® has donated $200,000 to the REALTORS® Relief
Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to providing
housing-related assistance to victims of disasters. The
REALTORS® Relief Foundation, is administered by the
National Association of REALTORS®, which covers 100
percent of RRF's administrative costs so that every dollar donated
goes directly to disaster relief efforts.
Methodology: Realtor.com® commissioned HarrisX to
conduct a national survey of consumers. The total sample size was
3,026 adults. The survey was carried out online from July 21-23, 2021. The sampling margin of error of
this poll is ±1.8 percentage points. The figures represent a
national view of U.S. adults. Results were weighted for age,
gender, region, race/ethnicity, and income where necessary to align
them with their actual proportions in the population.
About Realtor.com®
Realtor.com®
makes buying, selling, renting and living in homes easier and more
rewarding for everyone. Realtor.com® pioneered the world
of digital real estate more than 20 years ago, and today through
its website and mobile apps is a trusted source for the
information, tools and professional expertise that help people move
confidently through every step of their home journey. Using
proprietary data science and machine learning technology,
Realtor.com® pairs buyers and sellers with local agents
in their market, helping take the guesswork out of buying and
selling a home. For professionals, Realtor.com® is a
trusted provider of consumer connections and branding solutions
that help them succeed in today's on-demand world.
Realtor.com® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS,
NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. under a perpetual
license from the National Association of REALTORS®. For more
information, visit Realtor.com®.
Media Contact
Sara.wiskerchen@move.com
View original
content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/natural-disaster-threats-are-now-front-and-center-for-homebuyers-301384833.html
SOURCE Realtor.com