Word on the Street

What the most-searched property keywords say about us

Priorities have shifted away from work-from-home and toward making your home work for you, as cost-of-living pressures bite.

The annual realestate.com.au round up of the most popular search terms from 2023 reveals not only what words could help sell your home, but how our lives are changing.

Back in 2020, “study” came from nowhere to take out the number one spot. Now it doesn’t even crack the top five. Meanwhile, the two fastest movers of 2023 were “dual living” and “granny flat”, which climbed into the top 10.

Both reflect a growing demand for multi-generational living as children remain at home longer, or ageing parents move in with adult children.

The popularity of granny flats may also reveal many buyers are keen to find a second revenue stream to help pay rising mortgages. In response to the housing crisis, many councils have relaxed restrictions on building and renting second dwellings. Previously, many local government authorities required them to be occupied by relatives of the homeowner, but recently some State Governments have moved to allow granny flats to be rented on the open market, with local council approval.

Another fast-moving search term last year was “brick”, which, although it didn’t make the top five, was up 24 per cent in Victoria and 39 per cent in Tasmania. This indicates buyers are looking for more energy-efficient properties as heating costs soar. This energy-conscious house-hunting is an evolving trend that could mean efficiency search terms, such as “solar”, “Powerwall” and “EV charger” trending in 2024.

Swimming pool
Garage
Air conditioning
Outdoor area
Balcony

These reveal a strong Aussie focus on lifestyle and staying cool, and are sure to stoke the endless debate on whether swimming pools actually add value.

According to Roy Morgan research from 2023, about 14 per cent, or one in seven Australians now live in a household with a pool. Data analysts at Ray White say pools, at a minimum, boost valuation by the cost of installation, but beyond that it’s difficult to quantify. However, a pool is likely to improve the sale price if you live in a suburb with a lot of swimming pools, where it may be an expectation.

In the State-by-State breakdown of top five lists, “swimming pool” topped search terms nearly everywhere, with the exceptions of South Australia and Tasmania, where it was pipped at the post by “garage”.

“Garage” finished second in most other States, which real estate agents speculate is linked to recent sharp rises in vehicle theft around the country, with people looking for somewhere more secure than just a driveway or carport to park their cars.

The most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics data released in 2023 indicates vehicle theft was the fastest-rising property crime and nearly 60 per cent of vehicles were stolen from outside a home.

In other anomalies, “church” proved a strangely popular search term in the Northern Territory and Tasmania. Buyers could be looking for bespoke church conversions, but more likely close proximity to a place of worship.

For homeowners looking to sell, weaving some of these popular keywords into advertising copy may help your home reach more eyes. But it also gives renovators a clue to which additions, such as a lock-up garage, may help sell their home.

Investors looking to buy a rental property will also be interested to know the most-searched rental keywords of 2023 on realestate.com.au were:

Pet friendly
Furnished
Air conditioning
Swimming pool
Garage

While most of it aligns neatly with home buyers’ priorities, making your investment property pet-friendly and taking it to market furnished guarantees it will appeal to the broadest demographic. Although, with vacancy rates at an all-time low, the words “for rent” would probably do the job.