New data reveals insights on the behavior, motivations, and financial situations of age-qualified buyers looking for real estate in master-planned communities.
Private Communities Registry (PCR), the trusted online resource for real estate shoppers interested in amenity-rich, master-planned lifestyle communities, has released its 2023 Survey of Homebuyers and Renters Researching Lifestyle Communities Report. This free, 32-page report reveals insight into the behavior, motivations, and financial situations of retirees and pre-retirees searching for homes in communities that provide specific characteristics, amenities, and lifestyle preferences.
“Each year, PCR gathers insights from thousands of people interested in buying or renting in a master-planned community,” says Ben Keal, PCR’s Director of Sales and Operations. “The data collected is specific to those who are searching for more than just a home—they’re searching for a lifestyle. The result is an enlightening report that provides key market intelligence for builders, developers, clubs, and anyone involved with the planning, development, and marketing of lifestyle communities.”
What do these niche homebuyers want? Here’s a snapshot of some of the key takeaways from the 2023 report:
Lifestyle community buyers are willing to spend more for their next home
47% have a budget of $500,000 – $1 million+ (up 13% from 2021).
The majority of age-qualified buyers will be mortgage-free
58% plan to pay cash for their next home.
In a common year-over-year trend, the process for lifestyle community buyers remains purposeful and deliberate
72% have a purchase timeline of between 1-2 years
Retirement is a key catalyst for life-changing moves
70% plan to relocate to a new state and cite “retirement” as the main reason (55%), followed by “seeking warmer weather” (48%)
PCR users display an active intent to buy
Almost 75% of respondents have toured a community in person, with 49% having done so within the past year.
Active adult/55+ buyers have several highly preferred amenities
- Walking/Biking Trails (73%)
- Swimming Pool (72%)
- Fitness Center (71%)
- Clubhouse (55%)
- Tennis/Pickleball (42%)
- Golf (42%)
Lifestyle community buyers value stress-free homes with minimal upkeep
73% want an open floor plan, 68% prefer a single-level home, and 65% say low-maintenance living is the most important feature with their next home purchase.
“Through all the housing market ups and downs the past few years, buyers looking for retirement, 55+, active adult, and specific lifestyle communities have remained consistent in what they want. PCR’s latest report proves that while offering a fresh perspective on what communities and real estate companies can do to capitalize on the information,” concludes Ben.
The results of this year’s report analyze the responses of over 1,300 visitors to PrivateCommunities.com who completed the survey in April of 2023. With more than 1 million annual site visits, this report represents a segment of the impactful data regularly collected by PCR.
For details on these insights and full survey results, download your free copy of the 2023 Survey of Homebuyers and Renters Researching Lifestyle Communities Report.