Discover-Small Business Watch

Survey Conducted September 2006

3* When the housing market slows down, does it have a significant impact on your business?

32% Yes

61% No

    7% Not Sure

SAMPLE of 5,000 Adults

Gauging Consumer Use/Views of Small Business

1* Are you likely to buy a new home within the next six months, the next year, the next five years, or will it be more than five years before you buy a new home? 

  4% Six Months

  7% Year

19% Five Years

39% More than five years

30% Not sure 

2* When you sell your home, will you use a real estate agent, an online real estate service, or sell it yourself?

61% Agent

4% Online service

27% Sell yourself

  8% Not sure

3* When selling your home, what is the more important consideration in selecting a real estate agent? Are you looking for someone you know and trust someone with a sales record in your neighborhood, referral from friends or relatives, the best commission rate, the reputation of the real estate firm, or some other factor? 

47% Know and trust

16% Sales record

11% Referral

11% Best commission rate

  6% Reputation of firm

  7% Other

  3% Not sure

4* When you are selling a home, which if the following is the most important service a real estate agent can provide: finding potential buyers, handling the paperwork involved, helping set the asking price, or negotiating the final sale price? 

57% Finding buyers 

16% Handling paperwork

  6% Set asking price

10% Negotiate final price

11% Not sure

5* Do realtors add enough value to earn their commission?

35% Yes
47% No
18% Not sure

6* How confident are you that you know the realistic market value of your house?

59% Very confident

            32% Somewhat confident
  6% Not very confident
  2% Not at all confident
  2% Not sure

7* When you look to buy a new home, will you use a real estate agent or search through an online real estate service?

49% Agent
22% Online service
13% Both
16% Not sure

8* When new houses go on the market in your area, are they selling more quickly these days or is the housing market slowing down?

16% Selling more quickly
68% Market slowing down
16% Not sure