Filipinos’ online behavior grows more aggressive each year
AS INTERNET and mobile usage in the Philippines continue to grow, their impact and influence to Filipino consumers have likewise expanded not only in their social media habits but also in other life applications, including house hunting. People continue to embrace technology, specifically e-commerce, that everyday solutions are a mere tap away.
Transportation services, accommodation, and even grocery shopping can now be done via mobile applications. Instinctively, going online is also the initial reaction of most shoppers today. If something piques one’s interest, people search online first before buying a product or availing a service.
In preparation for the upcoming Lamudi Housing Fair on Oct. 13 to 15, global property website Lamudi studied its data to find out the online behavior and demographic of its users. Lamudi has been in the Philippine market for four years, and from its inception the number of Filipino homebuyers who go online even for their investment initiatives is evidently growing.
Real estate is considered the biggest purchase a person could ever make in their lifetime. As such, it is hardly surprising that people start their research online, even when the actual buying will take place months after.
A study by Lamudi in 2015 revealed that close to 80% of potential house-hunters use real estate portals, search engine, or social media to look for property. And being the most visited real estate portal in the Philippines, Lamudi’s onsite data can show how these online property hunters behave.
In 2014, Lamudi recorded 2.4 million visits to their website, which more than tripled in 2015 to 8.08 million visits. The year is yet to enter the fourth quarter and Lamudi already have recorded close to 11 million visits to its website, indicating that this year could easily surpass 2016’s 12.37 million visits.
In terms of age, a large chunk of Lamudi users are in fact millennials (or people between the age 25 and 34 years). People from this age bracket comprised 39.15% of all Lamudi users in the first nine months of 2017, followed by the 35–44 age group (20.16%) and the 18–24 age group (16.84%).
As property purchase is a such a tedious process that face-to-face interaction with a seller is a must, the global property website is organizing the 2017 edition of its very popular Lamudi Housing Fair. Slated to be held on Oct. 13 to 15 at the Megatrade Hall 1 of SM Megamall, this year’s edition is putting together property auctions, homebuying seminars, and talks from government officials. For more information, visit www.lamudi.com.ph/housing_fair.