SAN FRANCISCO, October 24, 2013 – Trulia, Inc. (NYSE: TRLA), a leading online marketplace for homebuyers, sellers, renters, and real estate professionals, today released the results of their Trulia Neighbor Survey, revealing consumer sentiment about their current neighbors and neighborhoods across the United States. Harris Interactive conducted the online survey on behalf of Trulia among 3,014 U.S. adults, age 18 and over, between September 25 and 27, 2013. Check out the full report here.
More Suburbanites and Homeowners Know Their Neighbors’ Names…And Like Them Too!
Two thirds of Americans (67 percent) say they like their neighbors, even though only 53 percent actually know their neighbors’ names. Residents living in suburban areas are more inclined to like their neighbors and know their names than people who live in more urban areas; homeowners, too, are much more likely than renters to like their neighbors (74 percent vs. 58 percent) and know their names (61 percent vs. 39 percent). Looking across regions, Midwesterners are the most likely to know their neighbors’ names: 60 percent do, compared with 51 percent in the Northeast and the South, and 49 percent in the West.
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% Who Know Their Neighbors’ Names |
% Who Generally Like Their Neighbors |
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All Respondents |
53% |
67% |
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Homeowner |
61% |
74% |
|
Renter |
39% |
58% |
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|
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Suburban |
68%[FS1] |
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|
Urban |
65%[FS2] |
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Midwest |
60% |
67% |
|
Northeast |
51% |
67% |
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South |
51% |
65% |
|
West |
49% |
72% |
Americans Desire Home-Owning Neighbors That Speak Their Same Language
Even though most Americans like their neighbors, even more are picky about them, with 75 percent preferring that their neighbors have particular characteristics. Speaking the same language fell second on the list of important neighbor traits among Americans (33 percent), above having the same race/ethnicity (10 percent), age (nine percent), family structure (16 percent), and political views (four percent). But the most important neighbor attribute was homeownership: 35 percent of respondents said it was important that their neighbors are homeowners, and this percentage increased among Americans who are homeowners themselves (51 percent). More urban dwellers than suburban residents agree sharing similar habits and behaviors – such as keeping the same hours and being similarly involved with the neighborhood – is important.
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“It is important to me that my neighbors…” |
All |
Suburban |
Urban |
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Are homeowners |
35% |
38% |
29% |
|
Speak the same language as me |
33% |
34% |
27% |
|
Are as involved with our neighborhood as I am |
22% |
22% |
24% |
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Have the same family structure as me |
16% |
17% |
13% |
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Keep the same hours as I do |
13% |
12% |
15% |
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Are of the same race or ethnicity as me |
10% |
11% |
8% |
|
Have the same political views as me |
4% |
3% |
5% |
Only 1 in 5 Americans Admit To Judging Their Neighbors Based On Their Home
Some neighbors, even the friendly ones, can be judgmental, passive-aggressive, or nosy. One fifth of Americans say they judge their neighbors on the appearance or condition of their home and property, with suburbanites a bit more likely to judge their neighbors than urban dwellers. 31 percent would actively ignore a neighbor if they were in a disagreement with them, and 30 percent would complain to their landlord, homeowners’ association, the police, or a local authority (other than the police). Curiosity strikes more than a quarter of residents: when a neighbor’s home goes up for sale, 27 percent of adults say they check out the home on an online real estate site, and 11 percent attend the open house.
PRE-APPROVED QUOTES
•“Two thirds of Americans generally like their neighbors, but that doesn’t mean unconditional love. There are strings attached,” said Jed Kolko, Trulia’s Chief Economist. “One in five Americans judge their neighbors based on how their home looks, and almost one in three would complain to a landlord, the homeowners’ association, the police, or another local authority if they were in a disagreement with them. That nice family next door might be judging you – or going behind your back.”
•“Because of the housing crash and foreclosure crisis, millions of formerly owner-occupied single-family homes became rentals,” said Jed Kolko, Trulia’s Chief Economist. “That’s bad news for the 51 percent of homeowners who say it’s important to them to have home-owning neighbors, but it beats living next door to a foreclosed, vacant house.”
MEDIA
•To download an infographic illustrating the findings above, click here.
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Trulia from September 25-27, 2013 among 3,014 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact pr@trulia.com.
ABOUT TRULIA, INC.
Trulia (NYSE: TRLA) gives home buyers, sellers, owners, and renters the inside scoop on properties, places, and real estate professionals. Trulia has unique info on the areas people want to live that can’t be found anywhere else: users can learn about agents, neighborhoods, schools, crime, commute times, and even ask the local community questions. Real estate professionals use Trulia to connect with millions of transaction-ready buyers and sellers each month via our hyperlocal advertising services, social recommendations, and top-rated mobile real estate apps. Trulia’s Market Leader subsidiary delivers the leading end-to-end technology and marketing solutions that enable real estate professionals to grow and manage their businesses. Trulia is headquartered in downtown San Francisco. Trulia is a registered trademark of Trulia, Inc.
