Buyers and renters’ key priorities when looking for a home have been revealed, as part of Property Academy’s Home Moving Trends Survey 2023.

The study shows that good neighbours and the availability of parking are top priorities, while 29% of purchasers still rate space to work from home as an “important requirement” in a property, this has fallen from a pandemic peak of 35% in 2020.

Just 11% of buyers prioritise open-plan living. Instead, they want “pleasant” neighbours (43%), amenities nearby (45%) and a garden (78%).

The survey also found that almost half – 49% – of all vendors would highly recommend their estate agent, and given that so many of the factors that can disrupt a smooth sale are out of an agent’s control, this is confirmation that many do a first-class job for their clients.

This year, over 20,000 people took part in three surveys, eliciting responses which provide a finger on the pulse of the UK residential property market.

The surveys ask buyers, sellers, landlords and renters about their experience, with analysis provided by Dataloft. This data enables Property Academy to understand the underlying drivers of consumer activity and track changes in expectations and satisfaction levels.

The reports aim to help estate agents tailor their service and communications to the things that matter most and benchmark their customer feedback against the national average.

Peter Knight, founder of Property Academy, said: “Our surveys are a key source of data when providing insight, advisory services and coaching to members of our Leadership Groups.

“Broadly, the reasons people move can be divided into two: those moving for life stage, and those for lifestyle. Whilst birth, death, marriage and divorce rates remain reasonably constant, or they adjust over decades as opposed to annually, factors such as relocation for work have seen significant change in many areas.

“The ability to work from home has increased in importance, hence things such as broadband speed too. The increase in mortgage rates has deterred many from making lifestyle moves, but for those at a different life stage, staying put isn’t an option.

“Almost half of home movers [47%] would consider a new home, which is almost 50% higher than a decade ago. No doubt, energy efficiency, consumption and cost are all factors that have caused many people to relook at new homes. It also says a lot about the improvement in design and build quality. Schemes such as Help to Buy have also influenced more people to consider a new home, plus the low availability of pre-owned properties is a factor in some locations.

“The survey has found that almost half, 49%, of all sellers would highly recommend their estate agent, and given that so many of the factors that can disrupt a smooth sale are out of an agent’s control, this is confirmation that many do a first-class job for their clients.

“This data allows agents to fully understand the needs and priorities of their clients, helping them to adapt to the ever-evolving market and continue offering the best possible service.”