One-Third of Real Estate Agents Have Clients Who Relocated Due to Local Laws or Politics in 2023: Redfin Survey

February 06, 2024 at 08:00 AM EST

Local laws and politics have become increasingly important as the nation gets more politically divided, and homebuyers have more flexibility than they used to in choosing where to live

(NASDAQ: RDFN) — Roughly one-third (32%) of real estate agents have at least one client who moved primarily because of local laws or politics in the last year, according to a survey commissioned by Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. The survey of 500 real estate agents from a wide spectrum of brokerages in the U.S. was conducted by Qualrics in December 2023.

The survey asked: “Have any of your customers over the past 12 months decided to move primarily because of state or local laws or politics?” Real estate agents answering “Yes” means that at least one out of numerous clients moved because of local laws or politics.

Factors like housing affordability, proximity to family and living close to job centers often outweigh political preferences or local laws when people are choosing where to live. But with the pandemic-driven rise in remote work, more Americans have the flexibility to factor in political preferences and local laws in deciding which metro area to call their hometown: A record share of homebuyers relocated to a different metro area in 2023.

Some of the most common migration routes for homebuyers last year were from blue states to red or purple states: San Francisco to Austin; Seattle to Phoenix; New York to Orlando and other parts of Florida. That’s due largely to housing affordability, but some homebuyers moved because they wanted to live in a more conservative place.

State and local laws and politics have also become increasingly important as the nation gets more partisan, with Democrats and Republicans drifting further apart on issues like climate, immigration and education. State laws differ on partisan issues like abortion and gun control, with many Americans reporting they would prefer to live in a place with laws that align with their own views. On a similar note, many Americans prefer living in a place where their neighbors have similar political views.

Redfin agents have reported working with customers who relocated for political reasons last year. Andrew Vallejo, an Austin, TX Redfin Premier agent, said he has helped clients move due to politics. “I know at least 10 people who have moved away from Texas in the last year, mainly because they don’t agree with state laws,” Vallejo said. “They all moved to the West Coast, to blue places where the policies align better with their personal views, specifically when it comes to women’s reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights.”

To view the full report and methodology, visit: https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-survey-relocation-politics

About Redfin

Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a technology-powered real estate company. We help people find a place to live with brokerage, rentals, lending, title insurance, and renovations services. We also run the country's #1 real estate brokerage site. Our home-buying customers see homes first with same day tours, and our lending and title services help them close quickly. Customers selling a home in certain markets can have our renovations crew fix up their home to sell for top dollar. Our rentals business empowers millions nationwide to find apartments and houses for rent. Customers who buy and sell with Redfin pay a 1% listing fee, subject to minimums, less than half of what brokerages commonly charge. Since launching in 2006, we've saved customers more than $1.5 billion in commissions. We serve more than 100 markets across the U.S. and Canada and employ over 4,000 people.

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