Movers Include Out-of-State and Locals, Too
Florida Realtors’ Economists:
Where do most Florida movers come from? It’s no secret: Lots of people are on the move, and if you know whether they’re relocating locally or coming from afar, you can adjust your approach to prospecting for new customers.
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times – a lot of people are moving to Florida every day. But there are also plenty of people moving within Florida as well.
Whether moving in or moving within, it all translates into opportunities for conducting business. Knowing the mix in your particular area can help you come up with the best ways to find new customers and serve the ones you have.
How can you find out what’s going on in your local area?
The American Community Survey (ACS), administered by the U.S. Census Bureau, is the premier source for detailed population and housing information in the country. Although a gold standard, the ACS data isn’t the timeliest source. The most recent results date to 2019.
Alternatively, the Florida Realtors®’ Research team determined moving patterns for 2020 from change-of-address filings for individuals and families submitted to the United States Postal Service (USPS).
Based on the data available, three geographic buckets were established for Florida movers: people who moved within the same county, people who moved from a different county within Florida, and people who moved from a different state. (Data from USPS does not include international movers.)
The 2019 American Community Survey indicated that, overall, 15% of Floridians moved that year including 1% from abroad — 8% moved within the same county, 3.1% moved from a different county within Florida, and 2.8% moved from a different state.
For 2020, Florida Realtors calculated residential movers by combining individual and family USPS filings, though it’s important to note that a family represents an unspecified count of people. Also, movers can be renters or buyers.
The graphic below illustrates what’s happening in the state, by county, based on the USPS data:
If your area has a large slice of orange:
A lot of people come from a different state. These people are particularly important for your business, but require a different level of service. Not being local, they rely more on your expertise to help them get acquainted to their new surrounding.
If your area has a large slice of green:
People are local-ish. A deeper dive into the data can reveal if these are small moves that technically cross county lines, or if these are larger – like Central Florida to South Florida moves. It’s worth checking out what’s going on in your area as those are pretty different. Once you figure out what’s going on, think about the things that pull people to your area. Are they attracted to different job opportunities, more affordability, or amenities – there’s a myriad of reasons to move! Tailor your products, services and outreach to meet their needs.
If you see a lot of gray:
Stick to your turf, as most movement happens in your own backyard. Make connections locally – consider professional organizations or volunteer opportunities where you can connect with your peers and potential customers.
Whatever your pie:
Acknowledge how it is sliced. Different proportions indicate unique tactics to apply to prospecting for business. Also, remember that the pieces can change size, which will influence what future strategies to pursue.
Source: Florida Realtors
New York City to Fla. Relocations: Flight or Hype?
By Erica Plemmons
Erica Plemmons is a Florida Realtors economist and Director of Housing Statistics
© 2021 Florida Realtors®
Reprinted with permission Florida Realtors. All rights reserved.