When Americans look at listings online, more of them are looking at houses far from home. In fact, according to a new analysis from the National Association of Realtors’ consumer website, 61.9 percent of online views for homes in the largest 100 metropolitan areas are from out-of-market shoppers. That’s up from 48.6 percent in 2019, pre-pandemic. Danielle Hale, the website’s chief economist, says Americans’ home-shopping habits have changed. “We have seen a fundamental change in where Americans who are shopping for a home are looking to live,” Hale said. “As the ‘lock-in effect’ keeps some owners from selling, those who are moving are increasingly untethered to the market they’re currently in.” Some of the shift may be due to a fundamental change but – based on the top locations for out-of-market demand – at least part of it is fantasy browsing. The top 10 leans heavily toward sun-filled southern locations, with Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas taking all but two of the top spots. (source)
