The Vancouver Island Real Estate Board (VIREB) recently released its annual 2006 Buyer Profile, tracking where people are coming from, what they’re buying, and why.
The board sent 8,500 surveys to residential buyers obtained from the MLS database for 2006. There were just over 2,100 completed responses from buyers. The report also contains a three-year comparative section as a snap-shot of current trends.
This announcement begs the question – Why aren’t more real estate boards in Canada, or even CREA for that matter, conducting similar surveys?
It seems that local real estate boards and (in particular) CREA are always boasting that their MLS systems provide the single, most comprehensive database of property listings for the public to search. Why not leverage this database by conducting a survey among recent homebuyers who purchased with the help of a real estate agent?
Not only would the survey results raise the profile of the Board or Association, it would also enhance the public perception of real estate agents by showing an added value to the community. People love to hear about who is buying in their community and why.
A homebuyer survey by a Board or Association would also provide member agents with greater insight into homebuyer trends in their region, thereby helping them fine-tune their marketing plans.
