Toward an Understanding of Real Estate Homebuyer Internet Search behavior: An Application of Ocular Tracking Technology

Abstract

This paper examines the eye movements of homebuyers searching for homes for sale on the Internet. Total dwell time (how long a person looks at the photo), fixation duration (time spent at each focal point), and saccade amplitude (average distance between focal points) significantly explain someone's opinion of the home and its value. The sections that are viewed first are the photo of the home, the quantitative description section, distantly followed by the real estate agent remarks section. Finally, charm pricing, the marketing technique where agents list properties at slightly less than round numbers, works in opposition to its intended effect. Given that homebuyers dwell significantly longer on the first home they view, and since charm pricing typically causes a property to appear towards the end of a search when sorted by price from low to high, we question the wisdom of using a charm pricing marketing strategy.