In recognition of June as national LGBT Pride Month, the National Association of REALTORS® released its first-ever Profile of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Buyers and Sellers. The report analyzes the differences between LGB and other buyers and sellers.
Below are some highlights. You can download the full report from nar.realtor.
- Bisexual home buyers were the most likely to indicate they were first-time homebuyers (58%), followed by lesbian and gay buyers (36%) and heterosexuals (32%). Bisexuals were also the youngest buyers, a median age of 36 years old, and had the lowest median income of $62,400. In comparison, lesbian and gay buyers were the oldest buyers at 45 years old. Heterosexual buyers reported a median age of 44 and a median income of $91,200, similar to $92,900 for lesbian and gay buyers.
- Bisexual home buyers were less likely to identify as white/Caucasian than lesbian/gay or heterosexual buyers (77%, compared to 88% and 85%, respectively), and were nearly twice as likely to identify as Hispanic than both groups (13% compared to 7%). Fourteen percent of bisexual buyers were born outside of the U.S., versus 7% of lesbian and gay buyers. Eight percent of bisexual buyers reported speaking a primary household language other than English, more than lesbian and gay buyers (4%) and heterosexual buyers (2%).
- Bisexual buyers purchased the smallest and oldest homes, with a median square footage of 1,840 square feet and median year built of 1966. Lesbian and gay buyers followed with a median square footage of 1,900 and a median year built of 1974, while heterosexual buyers purchased the largest and newest homes (2,060 median square feet, 1985 median year).
Why does society have a need to know more about someone’s sexual orientation? In my opinion, a person’s sexual orientation does not play a factor in how a person should be treated. Nor do I think a person’s sexual choice should be promoted or boasted about. This information is of little use to me in our industry.
This is totally outrageous. Unnecessary.this group is not discriminated against, punished
Or mistreated. So what is the point. You may.lose alot of realtor mbrs. THIS NoMT NEED ,BE SHOVED DOWN PEOPLES THROATS WHO ARE NOTBPART OF THIS MOVEMENT. WE GET IT AND WE DON’T CARE WE ARE FINE WITH
THEIR WAY OF LIFE. JUST STOP A THIS RIDICULOUS PUBLICITY AND BEHAVIOR.
“this group is not discriminated against, punished or mistreated???” How seriously disconnected are you? 21.06 still is on the Texas Law books. If one court case reverse our rights I could have to surrender my license for “illegal activity” of being gay. We only have marriage by one supreme court justice. Our lawmakers want to take away our property rights and most agents don’t want to serve our community. Your post is exactly why this needs to be discussed.
“NOT discriminated against?” I feel certain you know this to be untrue on the very face of it. But, I must ask: “What of it?” Where in the above data is discrimination addressed? The report is marketing data. For better or for worse, it is designed to help people sell more effectively. The very fact that you are so disproportionately incensed by the mere fact of this report strikes me as quite revealing. Perhaps you might be happier if you were to seek professional guidance and counseling to assist you on your own road to self acceptance. In the meantime,… Read more »
There are 195 countries is the world. 168 of them don’t allow same sex marriage. Literally only 27 countries that have legalized gay marriage. In over 60 countries it’s still a criminal offense to be gay and in some, it’s punishable by death. Sorry for shoving are article about this minority down your throat. This time must be so hard for you. This LGBT behavior is clearly the one being out of line. Wow. Get some perspective.
Again, I must emphasize that this publication is neither about approval or endorsement, it is about recognizing a market that may be quite profitable. Business, inevitably, is not about vaunted morality, nor about religious tenets; it is about making money. That is really all this is. But your benighted and sternly disapproving stance might be understandable if this report were about endorsing or encouraging anything. Yet the report is simply acknowledging a market that exists. Your extreme reaction to such a simple, factual marketing analysis suggests that you might do well to consult a therapist or a counselor to learn… Read more »
I totally agree with your points. Don’t understand why these agents don’t understand the purpose of the research. And I wonder how close they come to an ethics violation. Are they discriminating against LGBQT individuals? Our Code of Ethics forbids it.
Are you actually a member of the Diversity Committee? I have to question what you are doing on the committee if you don’t understand why this is important! Angel why do you even participate in this committee?
Why is this important and why is money spent on it? On one hand we hear “profiling” is a bad thing – and then there is this nonsense. If all people are equal then this information does not matter. And, for the record, I have NO intention of asking any client to elaborate on their preferences. I do not care!
Are you really so clueless that you don’t understand that different buyers and sellers have different needs?
Obviously when it comes to clueless, it is not me. That goes for some of your other replies to folks posting here. The POINT is we do NOT need profiling – period. I have LGBT clients (now friends) and they can be open to me or private – THEIR CHOICE. I do not care what their preference is and I do NOT understand a bi person needing to be categorized as such. For me, clients and I have a relationship. They TELL me what their needs are. And, we go from there. According to you – am I supposed to… Read more »
Why do we research seniors, single people, Millennials, etc? It’s called market research to better understand your potential clients’ needs. What’s so hard for you to understand.
The question is, what is so hard for YOU to understand? Age, single vs married, partnered or coupled – sure. What someone does in the bedroom or who it is with is nobody’s business. Forget for a moment the gay stuff – who cares if someone is bi? How do you justify the need to know about that? WHO CARES? But, since it seems important to you, I looked above and the stats suggest that bi-buyers most often purchase the oldest and smallest homes with a median 1840 sf and built 1966. So, are you suggesting that one of my… Read more »
I agree. I don’t give my buyers and seller my bedroom preference, and I don’t want to hear about theirs!
This information is not appropriate for NAR nor is the celebration of this lifestyle. NAR, TAR and all other real estate professionals and groups should focus on selling / buying homes.
And this is what this is about. Different groups have different wants and needs. You are a bad Realtor if you don’t understand that.
The report is about marketing. Perhaps if you read it, this might be clear; it is focused on buying and selling. It may be possible that you are successful doing business only with people exactly like yourself, but learning about marketing to different groups is commonly called “good business.”
“Lifestyle” — that speaks volumes. Let me guess, you think people choose to be gay. Question for you, when did you chose to be heterosexual?
You might want to focus on being a decent, caring human being in addition to selling / buying homes.
If that is true, why don’t they do a market stat on Christians buying homes vs Muslims? or Illegals? Haven’t seen that one. At least it is less graphic!
II agree with most others comments. This survey or “profile” of the LGBT community is useless and actually borders on a violation of NAR’s own Code of Ethics. *** “Standard of Practice 10-3 REALTORS® shall not print, display or circulate any statement or advertisement with respect to selling or renting of a property that indicates any preference, limitations or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. (Adopted 1/94, Renumbered 1/05 and 1/06, Amended 1/14)” *** Is the profile of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual buyers and sellers not giving a “preference” for… Read more »
NAR and TAR and all other AR’s want to be politically correct and inclusive. Also known as swamp building. We, dues paying members just don’t get it.
I agree Danny 100%. By doing this, NAR is violating their own Standard of Practice!
Danny,
I totally agree with you! The first thing that came to my mind is that it is a violation of NAR”S own Code of Ethics. I am not going to ask my clients what their sexual preference is! I don’t give a damn! And NAR shouldn’t either! And this is what our dues are funding?
I hope you didn’t spend our dues money on this useless information! I guess the next thing you will profile is which religious groups spend more money on real estate! Did you derive your details from Facebook! Biggest profiler we know.
I agree with the previous comments. No realtor asks their clients what is their sexual preference.
We will ask you if your lender has pre qualified you for purchase or what type of home are you looking for…pertinent information.
Thank you! Stats can be construed every way possible. Talk with your client, find out what they need or desire. Set up a plan to meet their goals. Everyone is an individual. They are not pigeon holed. My job is to know my market well enough to know what might fit each persons check boxes
I agree with other responses. This useless information should NOT be published by NAR or TAR. TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 STATES THAT IT DOES NOT MATTER ABOUT THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION, COLOR, FAMILIAL STATUS, CREED OR RELIGION. This publication and report opens NAR and TAR to unnecessary litigation! Please understand that this causes more problems than it solves. I prefer to not be subjected to this sort of discriminatory discussion of people’s personal sexual agenda. It’s no more important than discussing their race to cause further division among races and then force us to take a… Read more »
Nice try Larry, but the actual act only “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.” Making stuff up about stuff you don’t know about will always backfire.
You might want to read that act. Sexual orientation is not a protected class. You’d think someone that pledges to uphold Fair Housing would at least have a clue what the Fair Housing act says,
Amen. This fosters division.
Not even necessary information
This is so wrong. Thanks NAR for wasting realtors money..again. What next, a comparison of thin and obese buyers or maybe bald buyers compared to buyers with a mohawk? Next time spend the money on terminating zillow, we are the real estate professionals or have you forgotten?
Maybe it’s to distract from them selling our MLS to everyone else as a revenue stream
The LGBT+ community has been long ignored. Thank you for including us in housing statistics finally. Our property rights are equal to everyone elses and we deserve to be represented. The comments below simply illustrate how backwards and homophobic our state can be. Perhaps we should focus on education more. As an openly gay broker I work a lot with buyers and sellers in our community who feel other real estate professionals don’t respect them and take advantage of them. From the comments below I can see why they continue to feel this way. Our state leaders need to know… Read more »
The report is about marketing. Perhaps if people actually read it, this might be clear; it is focused on buying and selling. It may be possible that some realtors are successful doing business only with people exactly like themselves, but learning about marketing to different groups is commonly called “good business.”
Good words Bob. Thanks for posting.
Bob, some people just don’t get it! I’m happy to see these stats. We have stats on boomers, millennials etc these are just more helpful information for today’s buyers and sellers!
Everyone deserves your knowledge. You then learn about what they want. Stats pigeon hole people. Marketing to be effective tells them what you offer that others can’t.
In response to a lot of your distaste for this article, I’d like to point out that NAR releases profiles on many types of people. There is a veteran profile, a millennial profile, a generational profile, and many others I’ve seen. You can find them in the Research & Statiscics section of the NAR website. Here’s one I love called Buyer Bios: https://www.nar.realtor/buyer-bios-profiles-of-recent-home-buyers-and-sellers I’ve consistently found the information in the profiles to be helpful in marketing to and serving my community, which is how the information is intended to be used. If I’m going to market myself in the retirement… Read more »
Data is king, and if anyone knows this best, realtors do. The fact that there are some realtors who are bigots and don’t believe that “this kind of lifestyle” should be tolerated, least alone celebrated, is perfectly fine by me. They are self-identifying their bigotry and frankly do us all a favor by removing themselves from any consideration by the GLBT community who are looking for realtors. I’m tracking them, and the main agencies they work for – and will probably drop them a line to share that they have these kinds of people working for them (with their public… Read more »
Great answer
I see all the right wing nuts are upset about market and demographic education. Understanding your buyer’s needs is essential to a professional Realtor. Sad to see so many knuckle draggers on here.
I don’t need their sexual preference to decide how to market. They are individuals with different needs. Ask your prospects what boxes they need checked. Find out what that individual is seeking. Know your market to find it.
The LGBTQ community has been a taboo topic for a long time. They have been ignored and avoided as a topic. We wanted thier business, we want to benefit from thier services, but we didnt want to give them our attention.
I think doing studies on any culture is necessary for many reasons. This is information we all need.
This is a helpful article with good information about buyers and sellers. It’s sad that some people get hyper negative over something as benign as this. If they have that much animus against the LGBTQ community I question their judgment and ability to do business ethically.
Does it really matter your gender or your sexual preference? Shame on NAR, If you’re going to do that NAR maybe do it for everyone else. My impression of NAR just hit rock bottom. I wonder if we have any legal rights to not have this shoved down our throats.
The LGBTQ community has long been ignored and discriminated against as potential homeowners, and the comments here are a good example of the attitudes they may face when considering buying a home. That is exactly why y’all need this information. If you get your panties in a twist about a report, I can only imagine how you might react to having an LGBTQ person or couple as a potential client.
I enjoy all Statistics! Why NOT? I am relieved that statistics can be collected, published, etc. on these groups. Better than thinking OMG it’s taboo to gather or disburse such info – numbers don’t lie and knowledge is power. Think about it – they publish statistics on everyone else.
How the heck did this article make it past the legal department. What the heck!??? We cannot advertise based on ANY of this information. Be careful when using this info. Good grief.
Great article, good for NAR providing us with market knowledge about the LGBT community. Knowledge is still power!
This is helpful in understanding this demographic needs. Thanks
no group will ever be ‘equal’ as long as it keeps up the habit of setting itself apart from others.
What does this have to do with NAR or me? We are trained to avoid topics regarding protected classes yet you force this type of “news”
I’m part of the “community” that this post is recognizing… however, I believe the TX association has failed miserably here. How many more times could you possibly include the letters “SEX” in this post? I truly question the spirit & intent of this post – as I find it *VERY* hard to believe that it never occurred to the person(s) who published this as the TX association, that these bits of data as part of a much larger and important study, might be taken out of context, upset people, or be used as a means to expose bigotry/hatred (as it… Read more »
I’m not a realtor and currently not a home buyer or seller but this data seems to me that it could be helpful. When in business for oneself or a company it is always good to know your market and your potential clients/customers. I would think most astute realtors would understand how to use this data.
It is disappointing to read so many comments of people who “disapprove” of the LGBT “lifestyle.” I guess you just felt this was a great forum to show your true colors rather than look at the useful business side.
People need and want homes. Why does their orientation need to come into play? The stats here are no different than many buyers I have had in the past or will have in the future that are heterosexual. I’ve worked with all types of people and their sexual preference does not matter to me. I’m here to help anyone through an important part of their lives. It’s my job. Discrimination of any
kind has no place in real estate.
Proud of NAR for publishing this report! It is totally non-judgemental and obviously well researched. I have been a member of NAR since 1961 and in 1993 opened a company that became known as a company catering to the LGBTQ community. That was not our intention but with about 50% or more of our agent LGBTQ identified that became the reality. At one time we had 3 offices with about 100 agents. Many are the best in the business today. In the mid 90’s NAR REALTOR Magazine featured our company and we received many accolades and much recognition as a… Read more »
I’m not sure why the Association thinks it necessary for me to have a breakdown of a group of prospects by their sexual preference. My sellers are sellers, my buyers are buyers. I treat all the same. They get all the information possible to assist in their quest to make an informed decision. Statistics do not affect how I do my job as a Professional Realtor. Not everyone conveniently fits into a model that stats provide. Each person is an individual. They are not a group. They are their own unique self. My job is to learn by listening to… Read more »
When I read this today: https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2019/06/25/privacy-concerns-mount-over-hidden-sales-prices?AdobeAnalytics=ed_rid%3D3723627%26om_mid%3D980%7CRealtorMagNews_2019_06_25%26om_nytpe%3DREALTOR%20MAG%20NEWS
the thought occurred to me that somewhere along our path, America changed it’s vision and transparency overshadows privacy. We are losing the right to be unique individuals and to share what we alone choose to share – albeit purchase price or bedroom preference. What will they do with all that information?
Resistance is futile.
The BORG
(I do not think the Borg have sexual preferences (or sex) and they certainly don’t need a house – too much “public” information gonna put REALTORS out of business)