3/1/2014 C.A.R. 2013 LUXURY REAL ESTATE CONSUMER SURVEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Contents Survey Methodology... 2 Who Are Luxury Clients?... 2 Location, Location, Location!... 2 Luxury Home Buyers... 3 Luxury Home Sellers... 4 Luxury Clients vs. Traditional Clients... 6 Table of Figures... 7 1
Survey Methodology C.A.R. conducted an online survey about luxury home buyers and sellers those who bought or sold a property for more than $1 million. The survey was sent in November 2013 via email to REALTORS and 711 valid survey responses were received. All eligible respondents closed escrow within the twelve months prior to November 2013. The survey asked REALTORS a series of questions regarding their last closed transaction with a luxury client. Participants were randomly selected and the reported results are subject to a maximum sampling error of +/- 3.4 percent at a 95 percent confidence interval. Who Are Luxury Clients? Luxury real estate consumers are highly educated; nearly three out of four hold a bachelor or graduate degree. More than seven in 10 are Caucasian and about half (48 percent) of the clients are single. The median age for luxury clients was 53 years old. The median income was over $350,000 for those clients who disclosed their income to their agents. 74% College Educated 71% Caucasian $350K Median Income 48% Single 53 Years Old Detached single family homes comprised 87 percent of all luxury transactions and distressed sales accounted for only 6 percent. Realtors who handled luxury transactions reported that consumers are very optimistic about the short and long term prospects for the real estate market. Location, Location, Location! Luxury clients preferred that their properties be located at top of a hill (41 percent). 2
Figure 1: Luxury Property Location, N=303 Ocean view Mountain area Resort area Ski resort 16% 12% 9% 4% 1% 28% 41% 0% 20% 30% 40% 50% Beachfront properties also comprised a good portion of all luxury transactions. Ocean view and oceanfront properties accounted for 38 percent of all luxury transactions. Los Angeles and Orange Counties together account for approximately one-third of all of the luxury transactions in the state. Luxury Home Buyers Luxury buyers intended largely to use the luxury homes as their primary residence (79 percent). Figure 2: Luxury Home Use, N=667 Investment / Rental Vacation/ Property Second 9.1% Home Other 2.1% Primary Residence 79% 3
Luxury real estate consumers are experienced buyers and sellers; 85 percent were repeat customers. 4 of repeat luxury home buyers own more than one property 1/3 of buyers paid cash for their properties Figure 3: Reason for Purchasing Desired Larger Home 2 Desired Better/Other Location Change in Family Status 11% 20% Changed Jobs/Relocated Tired of Renting Investment/Tax Advantages Desired Smaller Home To Flip it for a Profit To Rent it Out Affordable Price 6% 3% 2% 2% 11% 0% 20% 30% Luxury Home Sellers The median sales-to-list price discount is $19,500 and properties are on average sold below their list price by 3.2 percent. Sellers primarily sold because they desired a larger home or due to a change in family status (i.e. marriage, divorce, death, kids, etc.). Luxury home sellers owned their properties for a median of 10 years. The median number of days that luxury properties spent on the market was about 30 days. 4
91% of luxury properties are marketed through an MLS. Figure 4: Reason for Selling Change in Family Status Desired Smaller Home Changed Jobs/Relocated Desired Better/Other Location 13% 12% 18% 18% Desired Larger Home 9% To Flip it for a Profit No Longer Wanted/Needed a Vacation Property Investment/Tax Advantages 4% 4% Affordable Price 2% 0% 1 20% Marketing through an MLS was the most effective way to sell the luxury property; 66 percent of respondents claimed they used the MLS to market their luxury listings. Only 8 percent of sellers stated that a private listing was their most effective marketing technique. median amount spent on marketing a luxury property: $1,000 Figure 5: Professionals Used to Market Property, N=330 Architect 1% Videographer 13% Other 11% Designer 14% Photographer 47% None 14% 5
Figure 6: Median Amount Spent on Marketing Services $300 $250 $500 Luxury Clients vs. Traditional Clients Luxury Traditional # offers received 2 5 # offers on other properties 1 3 # weeks spent looking for property 5 10 # properties viewed 10 8 # years intend to hold property 10 6 % obtained financing 65 91 down payment 30% 2 % obtained fixed rate loans 83 91 loan term 30 years 30 years difficulty obtaining financing rating (1-10 scale) 3.7 8.6 6
Table of Figures Figure 1: Luxury Property Location, N=303... 3 Figure 2: Luxury Home Use, N=667... 3 Figure 3: Reason for Purchasing... 4 Figure 4: Reason for Selling... 5 Figure 5: Professionals Used to Market Property, N=330... 5 Figure 6: Median Amount Spent on Marketing Services... 6 Figure 7: Type of Sale... 8 Figure 8: Type of Property... 8 Figure 9: Property Value Breakdown... 9 Figure 10: Source of Down Payment... 9 Figure 11: How Agents Find Luxury Clients... 10 Figure 12: How Luxury Properties are Marketed... 10 Figure 13: Most Effective Marketing Technique... 11 Figure 14: Amount Spent on Marketing... 11 Figure 15: Median $ Spent on Marketing per Property by Final Sale Price... 12 Figure 16: Expectations for Luxury Home Prices... 12 Figure 17: Primary Areas Where Luxury Clients Needed Agent Assistance... 13 Figure 18: Type of Client... 13 Figure 19: Level of Education... 14 Figure 20: Marital Status... 14 Figure 21: Ethnicity... 15 Figure 22: Number of Other Properties Owned... 15 7
Figure 7: Type of Sale REO/bank-owned Foreclosure 0.1% 2.7% Short Sale 3.0% Other 3.9% Regular/Tradtional/E quity Sale 90% Figure 8: Type of Property SFH Condo/Townhomes Others 7.6% 6.3% 86.1% 8
Figure 9: Property Value Breakdown 80% 76% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 0% 13% 6% 3% $1M - $2M $2M - $3M $3M - $5M $5M - $10M Figure 10: Source of Down Payment 1.4% 7.1% 27.8% Proceeds from a Previous Investment Personal Savings 55.7% 1031 Exchange Other 9
Figure 11: How Agents Find Luxury Clients Client is a friend Referral from a friend Referral from a previous buyer Referral from another agent Prior dealings with my brokerage Previous Client Open House Client found me online Client is a relative Client responded to my ad For Sale Sign Other 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 12% 14% 16% 18% 20% Figure 12: How Luxury Properties are Marketed MLS 91% Open House Advertisement 37% 3 Private Listing Builder/Developer Other 4% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 10
Figure 13: Most Effective Marketing Technique 1% 66% 8% Other Builder/Developer Advertisement Private Listing Open House MLS Figure 14: Amount Spent on Marketing 2 20% 1 0% $0-$499 $500-$999 $1000-$1999 $2000-$2999 $3000-$4999 $5000 or Higher 11
Figure 15: Median $ Spent on Marketing per Property by Final Sale Price $800 $700 $700 $600 $500 $500 $400 $375 $300 $200 $100 $0 $1M-$1.49M $1.5M-$2M $2M+ Figure 16: Expectations for Luxury Home Prices Luxury Buyer Luxury Seller 1 Year Up 71% 67% Down 1% 2% Flat/Unsure 27% 31% 5 Years Up 79% 76% Down 3% 3% Flat/Unsure 18% 21% 12
Figure 17: Primary Areas Where Luxury Clients Needed Agent Assistance 30.00% 25.00% 20.00% 15.00% 10.00% 5.00% 0.00% Negotiating All Aspects of Buying and Selling Inspections Contracts Figure 18: Type of Client Buyer Seller Both 18% 41% 40% 13
Figure 19: Level of Education 2.4% 8.1% 33% 13% Some High School High School 2.4% Some College Vocational/Technical School Four-Year College Graduate School 41% Figure 20: Marital Status Married Single Other 26% 26% 48% 14
Figure 21: Ethnicity Buyers Sellers 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 0% 2% 2% 7% 16% 74% 73% 7% 7% 2% 2% 3% Figure 22: Number of Other Properties Owned 40% 3 38% 30% 2 20% 17% 21% 1 0% 0 1 2 9% 3 4 9% 5+ 15
Leading the way in California real estate for more than 100 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States with 155,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles. The Association develops and promotes programs and services that will enhance the members' freedom and ability to conduct their individual businesses successfully with integrity and competency and, through collective action, promotes the preservation of real property rights. CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS Research and Economics 525 South Virgil Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90020-1403 213.739.8200 research@car.org http://www.car.org/marketdata/ 16