What are the most searched for real estate questions?

Buying a property can be a real journey.

After all, there is the hard work of saving the deposit and establishing a budget. There is the brain power involved in narrowing down a search, working out your ‘non-negotiables’ and choosing the right suburb and street.

Then there is the excitement and stress that comes with offering, negotiating and finally making a purchase.

This process is likely to throw up a lot of questions. And there may even be some you should be asking but haven’t yet thought of, too.

With that in mind, we thought it was time to examine the most searched-for real estate terms.

The process of buying and selling

Two years ago, Google Trends revealed 2022 data on the most common real estate questions. It showed many buyers turned to the search engine to get information about the process of buying a property, but also for information about the market.

The most common real estate search questions included:

We know that all these issues are pain points for buyers, and we do our best to help them navigate through by offering advice and articles on these topics (as we’ve linked above).

More recently, it’s all about the money…

More recently, in the midst of the highest interest rate environment we’ve experienced in decades, people’s questions revealed a preoccupation with finance and interest rates.

According to a 2023 Google Trends report, search interest in interest rates and mortgage loans hit an all-time high in Australia. This activity resulted in our country being ranked second only to Slovenia when it came to the top countries searching for real estate in 2023.

The top five questions Aussie searchers asked Google about interest rates and mortgages last year were:

When will interest rates go down?
How high will interest rates go?
What is the current interest rate in Australia?
How to calculate interest rate?
What are interest rates?

Also, last year, interest in the “mortgage cliff” was up 1,200%, showing exactly what was playing on people’s minds. Meanwhile, “Will the housing market crash in 2023?” was a top trending question.

In 2023, the search term “house for sale” was 12 times as high as it was twenty years ago. Searches for the phrase peaked in late 2020 to early 2022, corresponding with the pandemic property boom.

That’s not all people want to know

Another great source of property questions is Answer The Public, which offers insights into many of the little things that people are curious about, particularly tenants.

According to it, the most common search terms include:

Can real estate agents look in cupboards?
Can real estate agents say no to pets?
Can real estate agents disclose other offers?
Will real estate crash in Australia?
Where real estate is cheap?
What do real estate agents charge?
Why is real estate booming?
Why real estate is a good investment?
Which real estate investment is best?

Should you really just google the biggest purchase of your life?

Buying property is one of the biggest investments most people make in their lifetime.

But while Google may be an obvious starting point for any question you may have, we don’t believe your real estate search should start and finish with a search engine.

Instead, we’d encourage all buyers and sellers to attend open homes and come to us for trusted, expert advice and draw upon our local expertise in the nuances of Sydney’s inner city and inner west property market. Ask us any property questions you may have, and we’ll do our best to answer them or direct you to someone who can.

It’s also wise to seek specialist advice for finance or legal questions so that any answers can be customised to your own circumstances. We recommend you assemble a team of qualified, recommended experts in your corner so that when it comes time to buy or sell, you’ll be prepared and ready to act.