There are many factors that prompt homeowners to relocate, and increasingly local laws and politics are among them. Almost a third (32%) of real estate agents report having worked with at least one client who wanted to move for political reasons, according to new research findings. red fin report.
In general, housing affordability and proximity to family and employment centers tend to rank high on the list of must-haves when choosing a place to live. But in a post-pandemic world, remote work is widely adopted, giving homebuyers more leeway to consider where they want to live.
Homebuyers have the opportunity to factor their political preferences into where they want to live. And in 2023, a record percentage of homebuyers moved to another metropolitan area.
Another Redfin report found that between June and August of last year, 26% of homebuyers were considering moving to another part of the country. report. The most common migration route for homebuyers last year was from blue states to red or purple states, from San Francisco to Austin, Seattle to Phoenix, New York to Orlando and other parts of Florida.
Many homebuyers moved in hopes of finding a more affordable lifestyle, while some were looking for a more conservative environment. Red states also tend to have lower taxes and fewer restrictions on businesses, making them attractive to business-minded people.
With vastly different state laws on partisan issues like abortion and gun control, many Americans report A tendency to prefer living in places with laws that align with one’s political views.
Andrew Vallejo, a Redfin Premier agent in Austin, has plenty of experience with clients moving for political reasons.
“I know of at least 10 people who moved out of Texas in the last year, primarily because they disagree with state law,” Vallejo said. “They all moved to the West Coast, to blue places where policies are more in line with their personal views, especially when it comes to women’s reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights.”
The Redfin-commissioned study was conducted by Qualtrics and interviewed 500 real estate agents from various U.S. brokerages. The survey was conducted in December 2023.
