Homeowners admit that they’re ‘real estate stalkers’

CHICAGO – Nov. 17, 2017 – A recent poll of more than 500 homeowners found that 52 percent of respondents admit they've spied online to track how much friends and family paid for their houses, according to a poll by Branded Research.

These snooping homeowners say they're simply curious about the amount someone else paid for a property, how much it's worth currently, and how much they pay in taxes. Many real estate sites offer a place where you can plug in an address to see a home's worth and often more information.

"The info is so easy to come by," says Anna Davies, a 33-year-old Jersey City, N.J., resident. "It's gossipy and it's definitely something I've brought up with other friends: 'Do you know how much Mary's parents spent on their new condo?'"

Certain age groups are more likely to snoop than others: 76 percent of survey respondents between the ages of 35 and 44 admitted to checking out their friends' real estate deals online, and 72 percent of respondents ages 25 to 34 admitted to snooping.

Homeowners aged 65 and up are least likely to snoop, and just a quarter of that age group said they checked out what their friends paid online.

Homeowners in the western part of the U.S. are also more likely to snoop on what others paid, and 59 percent said they've looked at their friends' real estate deals. On the flipside, Midwesterners are least likely to indulge their curiosity.

"We're all naturally curious," says Jodi RR Smith, president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting in Boston. "But just because you can get all this information doesn't mean you should. You don't want to be at the next cocktail party and start spouting off what everyone in the room paid for their house."

Source: "Is It Ok to Real Estate-Stalk Your Friends and Family? A Hot Trend Explained," realtor.com® (Nov. 15, 2017)

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