Make Room for Fido: Pets Are One of the Family When it Comes to Buying a Home

- Nearly 95 percent of pet-owning buyers say pet needs play a role in selecting a home

- Sixty eight percent of pet owners would pass on the "perfect home" if it didn't meet their pet's needs

- Large yard and outdoor space top list of most important home features for pet owners

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May 27, 2020, 06:00 ET

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- It's no surprise that people will go to extremes to make their pets comfortable, and buying a home -- often the largest financial decision most people ever make -- is no exception. A recent survey by realtor.com^® found that more than two-thirds of pet-owning home buyers would forgo their perfect home if it wasn't right for their furry friend.

"At realtor.com^®, we believe that a home is so much more than a roof and four walls. It is where family and friends come together and memories are made. The results of this survey reinforce that our pets are our family and an important part of what makes a house a home," said Nate Johnson, chief marketing officer of realtor.com^®.

The results are based on an online survey conducted in March of more than 2,000 people who planned to purchase a home in the next 12 months and are fairly consistent with a similar survey realtor.com conducted in August 2018.

Most home shoppers are pet owners and they are shopping with their pet in mind

Of those surveyed, 82 percent of the respondents identified themselves as pet owners. Dogs were the most common pet (61 percent), followed by cats (45 percent), fish (12 percent), and birds (9 percent).

Of those home buyers who own a pet, nearly 95 percent indicated that the needs of their faithful companions would be at least a somewhat important consideration during their home search. Approximately 84 percent ranked their animals' needs "extremely important" or "very important" in their home-search (55 and 29 percent, respectively). Less than 5 percent said their needs were unimportant.

The needs of their pets factored into the home purchase decisions of pet owners of all ages with 96 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds, 97 percent of 35- to 54-year-olds and 87 percent of 55+ buyers indicating that their animal would be at least a "somewhat important" factor during their home search.

Although one might think that dogs and cats might influence a home buyer's decision more than non traditional pets, that's not the case. While 87 percent of dog and cat owners said their pets' needs were extremely important or very important during their home search, 89 percent of bird owners, 85 percent of fish owners, 80 percent of reptile owners, 79 percent of rodent owners and 74 percent of horse owners, indicated their pet would factor into their decision.

If it's not right for their pet, it's not the right home

Pets' needs play such an important role in buying a home, more than two-thirds (68 percent) of home buyers said they would "forgo an otherwise perfect home" if it did not meet their pets' needs. Those aged 35 to 54 were most likely to pass on a home if it wasn't right for the pet (72 percent), compared with 66 percent of buyers between the ages of 18 to 34 years old and 51 percent of those 55+.

Although people with children (71 percent) felt more strongly that the home needed to accommodate their pet than people without children (59 percent), pet owners across the board – including fish, rodent and reptile owners – said they would pass up an otherwise perfect home if it didn't meet their pets' needs.

A yard and outdoor space rank high for pet owners

Home buyers were asked to rank the three home features they considered to be the most important for the needs of their pets. The top five features were: A large yard (38 percent), any outdoor space (29 percent), a garage (24 percent), a dog run (22 percent), close proximity to outdoor spaces (21 percent) and large square footage (20 percent).

About realtor.com^®Realtor.com^® makes buying, selling and living in homes easier and more rewarding for everyone. Realtor.com^® pioneered the world of digital real estate 20 years ago, and today through its website and mobile apps is a trusted source for the information, tools and professional expertise that help people move confidently through every step of their home journey. Using proprietary data science and machine learning technology, realtor.com^® pairs buyers and sellers with local agents in their market, helping take the guesswork out of buying and selling a home. For professionals, realtor.com^® is a trusted provider of consumer connections and branding solutions that help them succeed in today's on-demand world. Realtor.com^® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. under a perpetual license from the National Association of REALTORS^®. For more information, visit realtor.com^®.