Unsurprisingly, online house hunting was revealed to be the most popular,with all participants stating this was their first port of call.
The majority (96%) of Brits admitted to looking at properties despite having no intention of moving or buying, commercial estate agents Savoystewart.co.uk has found.
Unsurprisingly, online house hunting was revealed to be the most popular,with all participants stating this was their first port of call. Additionally, 10% also confessed to attending open houses and a further 8% going to in-person viewings for properties they have no intention of buying.
A representative from lettings and estate Winkworth said: “I’ve been working in the industry for close to five years and previously being a negotiator myself, I find that the best thing to do is to treat each applicant and enquiry exactly the same.
“As long as you follow the protocol and ensure you’ve asked the qualifying questions, it tends to make it clear who is serious about looking and who is purely window-shopping.
“After being ‘ghosted’, the best thing I’ve found is trying to touch base once a week directly after the date of their enquiry or viewing. After that, we’ll send them a courtesy email or call at the six month mark but then they’ll be archived.”
When asked what was the main motivation behind property viewing, 76% confessed to simply ‘being nosey/having a look around’, with a further 36% stating they browse property listings to ‘look for interior inspiration’.
Other notable motivations included: ‘considering purchasing a property nearby’ (20%), ‘window-shopping’ (17%), ‘making sure you are buying the right property’ (16%) and finally ‘a hobby/something to do’ at 12%.
Interestingly, nearly half of Brits confessed to actively looking for homes that were ‘out of their price range with high spec and desirable features’ (48%).
