The Pet Factor in Real Estate Sales

If you’ve ever had a dog or cat nuzzle its way into your lap, a bundle of warmth, fur, and happiness, you know how easy it is for a beloved pet to make itself indispensable in your life. We go out of our way to accommodate them — even when making decisions on buying or selling a home or remodeling an existing one.

A new report from the National Association of Realtors shows just how far we’ll go to keep our pets happy. Fully 81 percent of respondents to a NAR survey said that animal-related considerations play a role when deciding on their next living situation.

According to the survey, 99 percent of pet owners said that they consider their animal a part of the family, and 89 percent said they would not give up their pet because of housing restrictions or limitations. In fact, 12 percent said they have moved to accommodate their pet, and 19 percent said they would consider moving to accommodate their pet in the future.

Six out of 10 U.S. households either have a pet or plan to get one in the future, with dogs the clear favorite: 83 percent of pet owners report that they own a dog; 43 percent own a cat; 9 percent own a bird, reptile, amphibian, arthropod, small mammal, or miniature horse; 8 percent own a fish; and 5 percent own a farm animal.

I represented a high-end sale recently where the one and only consideration for the buyer was if the house would be appropriate for her fairly large dog.  I’ve also learned that when creating a video for a listing any pet clips included in the production can make the video. Pets can make a house a home.