Online Home-Buying Search Terms Recently Hit 2-Year High

Believe it or not, there are clear signs buyer interest is heating up again.

Lets talk about whats really going on behind the scenes, and why the housing market might not be as quiet out there as it seems.

Buyers Are Looking, and Search Trends Prove It

One of the clearest ways to measure what people are thinking about is to look at what theyre searching for online. And according to Google Trends, searches for phrases like home for sale have been climbing steadily this year.

The graph below shows an index of two common homebuyer search phrases and how popular they were on Google over the past two years. The higher the line goes, the more popular that phrase was. A 100 on the graph shows the most popular time for each phrase:

Heres what really stands out in this data. Both phrases have been trending up overall this year, and they hit a recent high in mid-July. Thats a pretty strong sign that curiosity (and maybe even interest) in buying a home is improving.

That kind of momentum means something. Despite high mortgage rates and home prices, buyers havent given up. They're still watching the market. Theyre still browsing. And many are just waiting for the right opportunity to act. Maybe your house is exactly what theyre looking for. But youll never know if its not listed yet.

Now, this doesnt mean demand is going to surge like it did during the pandemic. It just means some buyers are deciding they cant wait any longer. And those are exactly the kind of buyers you want. Motivated. Eager. Ready to move when the right house comes along.

So, if youre holding off on selling because youre not sure if the demand is there, this data suggests it might be time to rethink your plans. Because while its not 2021-level demand, it doesnt need to be. You dont need ten offers to sell your home. You just need the right buyer.

And that buyer may be searching for a house like yours right now.

Bottom Line

If youve been thinking, Ill sell once buyers come back, you might want to take another look. Online search trends show theyre already interested.

What would make you feel confident putting your house on the market this year? Connect with a local real estate agent to talk through it.