Mumbai : With the rapid penetration of smartphones in the country, searching online on mobile phones for property has gone up three times more than desktop searches, finds a recent survey.
Searching for property via mobile devices has witnessed a significant increase between January 2014 and May 2015, both in terms of traffic and leads, the study pointed out.
“In January last year, searching for homes on mobile phones constituted only 10 per cent of the property seekers, which in May 2015 stood at 40 percent,” the report said. The survey found that property searches in Tier II cities, which has also witnessed a significant penetration of smartphones over the past few years, has grown 1.3 times compared to the national average.
According to Muralikrishnan B, Chief Operating Officer, IndiaProperty.com, searching for homes has evolved a great deal. “From traditionally being broker or word-of-mouth driven to online property searches, home searches have evolved over the years. Today, mobile solutions are taking a revolutionary leap in helping buyers get a home,” he said. According to IndiaProperty.com, the consumers use property searches to look for listings, getting directions, extra information, calling and emailing an agent or checking out videos of houses.
The survey also found that women outnumber men in the percentage of people using mobile apps for property searches. The report points out that 54 per cent of the women who look for properties do it on mobile phones, while the number is lower for males at 46 per cent. “There is a higher engagement by female buyers on mobile phones. More women are searching for property on mobiles and spending a longer time on their phones in the process,” Muralikrishnan added.
It pointed out that nearly 69 per cent of property seekers using mobile phones for house hunting are in the age group of 18-34 years, while the number of house hunters on desktops between the age group of 18-34 years is only 61 per cent.
“Thirteen per cent of property seekers between 35-44 years of age use mobile phones, while 7 per cent each do so in the age group of 45-54 and 55-64, while only four percent are those above 65 years,” the report added.
SWAPNIL RAWAL
