The Metro Vancouver/Lower Mainland real estate market is about as wild as they come. This region offers the most varied market in Canada, with some areas averaging over $2 million for a detached house and others offering the same (or bigger) for under $350,000. At REW.ca we wanted to find out how the housing market affects buyers and sellers in their search for a place to call home in Vancouver Lower Mainland. These are the results of our survey.

1. Q4 2011
REW.ca Real Estate Consumer
Survey
1

2. Introduction
Survey commissioned by Real Estate Weekly;
349 interviews completed with residents from Hope to Permberton, 18 years of age or over,
who have bought or sold a home or property in the past three years or plan to purchase/sell
in the next three years or so;
Survey completed by web using Mustel Group’s randomly recruited panel;
Field dates: November 25-30, 2011;
Total sample, including non-qualifiers, weighted by gender, age and region to match Statistics
Canada data for region;
Margin of error: +/-5% at the 95% level of confidence;
Questionnaire used appended;
Detailed computer tabulations presented under separate cover.
2

3. Real Estate Transactions in Past 3 Years or Within
Next 3 Years
Total Residents
Total Bought/Sold in Past 3 Years 16%
Bought only 6%
Sold only 2%
Both 7%
Total May Buy/Sell in Next 3 Years 49%
Buy only 17%
Sell only 4%
Both 29%
Base: Total Hope to Pemberton Residents (n=606)
Q.1a) Have you bought or sold a home or property within the past three years or so?
Q.1b) Do you plan to buy or sell a home or property within the next three years or so?
3

4. Preference for Resale or New Developments
Tota Past Buyers/Sellers Future Buyers/Sellers
l
Resale homes older than 10 26% 30% 24%
years
Resale homes less than 10 10% 12% 10%
years old
10% 9% 9%
New development homes
Resale homes less than 5 7%
7% 4%
years old
No preference 48% 46% 50%
Base: Total (n=349) Past buyers/sellers (n=94)Future buyers/sellers (n=299)
Q.2) Do you prefer homes that are resale or new developments?
4

5. Type of Home Purchased/Future Home
Past Buyers/Sellers Future Buyers/Sellers
Detached rancher, one level 10% 20%
Detached two level 15% 22%
Detached three level with basement 18% 11%
Duplex/multiplex 3% 2%
Townhouse 23% 19%
Condo 32% 26%
Base: Past buyers/sellers (n=79) Future buyers/sellers (n=276)
Q.3a) What type of home did you purchase?
Q.3b) If buying in the future, what type of home are you looking for?
5

6. Ideal Location
Total Past Buyers/Sellers Future Buyers/Sellers
(349) (94) (299)
% % %
Vancouver 33 42 32
West side 18 32 16
Downtown 7 6 7
East side 7 3 8
Burnaby/New West 9 6 10
South Delta/Tsawassen/White
9 10 9
Rock
North Vancouver 9 7 9
Fraser Valley 8 5 8
Langley 7 3 8
Tri-Cities 5 4 4
West Vancouver 4 5 3
Surrey 4 4 3
Vancouver Island/Sunshine Coast 3 2 3
Q.4) What
would be your Interior 2 2 3
ideal location if Richmond 2 3 2
you could Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge 1 1 1
afford it? Out of Province 1 - 1
North Delta <1 1 -
6

7. Ideal Location by Area of Residence
Area of Residence
Tri-Cities/ Richmond/
Burnaby/ Surrey/
Maple South Delta/
New North Delta/ Chilliwack/
Ridge/ Pitt Tsawwasse Langley
Vancouver North Shore Westminster Abbotsford
Meadows n/White
(n=109) (n=42) (n=36) (n=59) (n=25)
(n=35) Rock (n=43)
% % % % %
% %
Stay in current
82 81 56 52 68 59 60
municipality/area
Move to City of
n/a 7 11 11 21 7 8
Vancouver
Move to other area 18 12 33 37 11 34 32
Q.4) What would be your ideal location if you could afford it?
Q.4) What would be your ideal location if you could afford it?
7

8. Maximum Acceptable Commuting Time
Tota Past Buyers/Sellers Future Buyers/Sellers
l
Under 10 minutes 5% 6% 5%
10 7% 5% 7%
15 7% 6% 8%
20 18% 16% 18%
Average by Age:
21-29 3% 3% 2%
18-34 yrs = 39 min
35-54 yrs = 31 min 30 27% 31% 25%
55 yrs plus = 27 35 3% 1% 3%
min
40 4% 5% 4%
45 12% 15% 11%
50 2% 3% 2%
60 plus 12% 7% 13%
Average = 30 min Average = 30 min Average = 30 min
Base: Total (n=349) Past buyers/sellers (n=94) Future buyers/sellers (n=299)
Q.5) What is the maximum commuting time you would be prepared to accept to work, school or another destination
that you travel to regularly?
8

9. Main Source of Information About Homes for Sale
Past Future Prefer
Total Buyers/Sellers Buyers/Sellers Resale New
Internet 74% 80% 73% 71% 70%
A Realtor 70% 67% 69% 62% 85%
Newspapers 15% 13% 15% 16% 15%
Yard signs 5% 5% 5% 5% --
Other 1% -- 1% 1%
--
Base: Total (n=349) Past buyers/sellers (n=94) Future buyers/sellers (n=299)
Prefer resale (n=148) Prefer new (n=33)
Q.6) If you were buying a home in the future, what do you think would be your main source of information about homes for
sale? Please choose your top two sources.
9

10. Most Important Factors in Selecting Neighbourhood
Past
Future
Buyers/Seller
Total Buyers/Sellers
s
(349) (276)
(79)
% %
%
Close to amenities such as shops, grocery
41 41 44
stores, medical facilities
Close to family/friends 33 32 32
Close to work/lessened commute time 22 20 22
Close to parks and green space 15 17 15
Close to public transit 19 15 19
Lessened or no need to use vehicle (can walk
13 14 13
or cycle)
Safety/less crime 16 13 16
Quality of schools 8 13 6
Close to water (streams, rivers, lakes, ocean) 15 10 17
Close to schools 4 6 3
Close to recreation facilities 3 3 3
Close to airport 1 -- 1
Other 6 11 5
Q.7a) Apart from affordability, what were the 2 most important factors in selecting your neighbourhood location?
Q7b) Apart from affordability, what are the 2 most important factors in selecting your neighbourhood location? 10

11. Most Important Factors in Selecting Home
Tota Past Buyers/Sellers Future Buyers/Sellers
l
Number of bedrooms 39% 38% 35%
Style of home 43% 37% 44%
Size - upsizing (moving to a larger
home) 24% 28% 23%
Investment potential 22% 24% 21%
Size - downsizing (moving to a
27% 15% 30%
smaller home)
Environmental/energy efficiency 21% 13% 23%
Secondary suite in home 9% 13% 8%
Other
12% 23% 9%
Base: Total (n=349) Past buyers/sellers (n=79) Future buyers/sellers (n=276)
Q.8a) Apart from the price, what were the two most important factors you considered in selecting your home?
Q.8b) Apart from the price, what would be the two most important factors you would consider in selecting your future
home?
11

12. Compromises in Order to Afford Home/Future Home
Past Buyers/Sellers Future Buyers/Sellers
Size of home 37% 44%
Distance from work 32% 24%
Condition of home 30% 25%
Lot size/size of yard 22% 43%
Distance from friends/family 22% 30%
Quality of schools 1% 23%
Distance from schools -- 26%
Other 9% 2%
Did not/would not make any 15% 16%
compromises
Base: Past buyers/sellers (n=79) Future buyers/sellers (n=276)
Q.9a) What characteristics of your home or neighbourhood did you compromise in order to afford your home?
Q.9b) What characteristics of your home or neighbourhood would you compromise in order to afford your future home?
12

13. Perception of Home Prices in 2012
Total (n=349) 33% 13% 54%
Area of Residence
Vancouver (n=109) 40% 17% 43%
North Shore (n=42) 31% 14% 55%
Burnaby/New Westminster (n=36) 33% 19% 47%
Tri-Cities/Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows (n=35) 34% 6 60%
Richmond/South Delta/Tsawwassen/White Rock (n=43) 28% 5 67%
Surrey/North Delta/Langley (n=59) 22% 14% 64%
Fraser Valley (n=25) 36% 8% 56%
Increase Decrease St ay about t he same
Q.10) Do you believe that prices will increase, decrease or stay about
the same in 2012?
13

14. Used/Currently Using Realtor
Past Buyers/Sellers Future Buyers/Sellers
Yes No
No Yes
94% 65%
6% 35%
Base: Past buyers/sellers (n=79)
Future buyers/sellers (n=276)
Q.11a) Did you use a Realtor to buy or sell your home?
Q.11b) Are you currently using a Realtor?
14

15. Greatest Value Received From Realtor
Total Past Buyers/Sellers Future Buyers/Sellers
Help with paperwork/contracts 34% 32% 34%
Placing/negotiating offers 22% 22% 22%
Marketing/listing your current home 18% 20% 19%
Help to identify homes best suited to your needs 15% 10% 16%
Arrange open houses 3% 9% 2%
Help to determine neighbourhood and communities 2% 2% 2%
Other 4% 5% 4%
Base: Total (n=349)
Past buyers/sellers (n=94)
Future buyers/sellers (n=299)
Q.12) What do you think is the greatest value you receive from a Realtor?
15

16. Demographic Characteristics
Past Future
Buyers/Seller Buyers/Sellers
Total
s (299)
(349)
(94) %
%
%
Gender
Male 49 54 48
Female 51 46 52
Age Category
18-34 16 16 16
35-54 39 43 37
55+ 46 42 47
Home Tenure
Own 79 96 77
Rent 21 4 23
Annual Household Income
Less than $40,000 10 9 11
$40,000 to $59,999 13 11 14
$60,000 to $79,999 15 10 16
$80,000 to $99,999 14 15 14
$100,000 to $120,000 14 16 13
$120,000 or over 17 26 15
Prefer not to say 17 15 17 continued

17. Demographic Characteristics (cont’d)
Past Future
Buyers/Seller Buyers/Sellers
Total
s (299)
(349)
(94) %
%
%
Area of Residence
Vancouver 31 34 31
West Side 13 19 12
East Side 12 10 13
Downtown 6 5 6
Surrey 11 10 11
Burnaby/New West 10 7 11
North Vancouver 8 9 8
Tri-Cities 8 6 8
Fraser Valley 7 7 7
Richmond 7 10 8
South Delta/Tsawwassen/White Rock 5 7 5
Langley 5 2 6
West Vancouver 3 1 3
Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge 2 2 2
North Delta 1 2 1
Sea-to-Sky corridor 1 1 <1
Bowen Island 1 1 <1