Realtors’ Perceptions of Social and Physical Neighborhood Characteristics Associated with Active Living: A Canadian Perspective

Abstract

Realtors match home-seekers with neighborhoods that have built and social characteristics they desire to pursue active lifestyles. Studies have yet to explore realtors’ perspectives on neighborhood design that supports active living. Using qualitative description, our study was to explore the perceptions and understandings of neighborhood design (walkability, healthy, bike-ability, vibrancy, and livability) among urban residential realtors. Nineteen (6 men; 13 women; average age 48 years) self-identified residential realtors from Calgary, Edmonton, and Lethbridge (Canada) completed semi-structured telephone interviews. Content analysis identified themes from the interview data. Specifically, walkability was described as: perceived preferences, destinations and amenities, and connections; a healthy community was described as: encourages outdoor activities, and promotes social homogeneity; bike-ability was described as: bike-ability attributes, and was controversial; vibrancy was described as: community feel, and evidence of life; and livability was described as: subjective, and preferences and necessities. Our findings can inform the refinement of universal definitions and concepts used to in neighborhood urban design.

Associations between neighborhood walkability and walking following residential relocation: Findings from Alberta's Tomorrow Project

“…Publically available tools, such as Walk Score ® , Bike Score ® , and Transit Score ® (available on real estate sites such as Redfin: https://www.redfin.com/ ) may be useful for identifying new neighborhoods that can support preferences for transport-related physical activity. Moreover, real estate professionals may play an important role in matching home-seekers with neighborhoods that include built characteristics that support their walking preferences ( 67 – 69 ). More importantly, our findings highlight the need for urban development and planning authorities, municipalities, and land developers to increase the supply of newly developed walkable neighborhoods and invest in the redevelopment of existing neighborhoods to increase their supportiveness for transportation walking.…”

Polarized Paths: ‘Selling’ Cycling in City and Suburb

“…McCormack et al . (2020) found that cycling can be a controversial topic, and that issues surrounding built form, healthy lifestyle, and education can attract or deter interest in cycling. While a focus on measuring property value impact is significant, it ultimately ignores external factors that could influence public perceptions, creating a gap in our understanding of why public resistance towards cycling infrastructure exists when property values are positively impacted.…”

“…In addition, qualitative research has begun to examine the home-buying process through the lens of realtors and developers, including their agency as stakeholders in the market (Carnoske et al 2010;Kern 2016;McCormack et al 2020). McCormack et al (2020 found that cycling can be a controversial topic, and that issues surrounding built form, healthy lifestyle, and education can attract or deter interest in cycling.…”

“…Realtors engage with a wide variety of households, and are therefore well positioned to provide valuable perspectives regarding transportation preferences and how they differ between people and neighbourhoods (see also McCormack et al . 2020). Developers offer insights into the ways in which different transportation modes are part of building and ‘selling’ new communities, whether they be in the city or the suburbs.…”

“…By analysing the knowledge, perceptions, and experiences of real estate agents (hereafter 'realtors') and developers, we gain insights into trends in the housing market that are beyond the knowledge of individual homebuyers. Realtors engage with a wide variety of households, and are therefore well positioned to provide valuable perspectives regarding transportation preferences and how they differ between people and neighbourhoods (see also McCormack et al 2020). Developers offer insights into the ways in which different transportation modes are part of building and 'selling' new communities, whether they be in the city or the suburbs.…”