The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the lockdowns during this period had an impact on the attitudes of prospective home buyers in the United Kingdom (UK) in different ways. On one hand, there was a large percentage of prospective home buyers of ** percent that said COVID-19 motivated them to buy homes between ********** and **********.
However, concerns of financial security and the home buying process being harder were also registered at high rates. ** percent of prospective home buyers were worried about their financial security, ** percent reported that lockdowns made it harder to buy homes. This shows that while the motivation and interest in buying homes was large, but the conditions of lockdown and the financial impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic were a big barrier towards making purchases.

Every tenth Pole after the coronavirus epidemic in Poland has plans to purchase real estate. The vast majority did not plan and do not intend to buy a property in 2020.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

As surveyed by Infocus Mekong , houses were the real estate property with the leading purchase intention among consumers in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with ** percent of respondents declaring the intention to purchase houses. By comparison, land took over as the most wanted property type in 2021 according to ** percent of the respondents. In general, the intention to buy real estate property in 2021 was ** percent higher than that of 2020.

According to a survey conducted from 24th to 26th March 2020, ** percent of the Thai respondents who earned less than ** thousand Thai baht per month, stated that they stopped purchasing real estate or property during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Meanwhile, ** percent of the Thai respondents who earned monthly more than ** thousand Thai baht, delayed their purchase for such products during the pandemic in the country.

This statistic illustrates the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the intention to buy or sell a property in France in 2020. It can be seen that more than half (54 percent) of French people who planned to buy or sell a property in 2020 had to delay the sale or purchase of a property because of the coronavirus. For more information on the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), please visit our page: Statistics & Facts on the coronavirus (COVID-19)

Long-term care homes (LTCHs) implemented various models of care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to identify these models of care and provide suggestions on best practices that could be integrated into LTCHs in efforts to improve resident care. The project included a quantitative survey and semi-structured key informant interviews with LTCH managers across Canada. Our objectives were to 1) identify models of care that were used to support resident care in Canadian LTCHs during the COVID-19 pandemic and to describe their intervention components, processes of implementation, and perceived impact; 2) determine whether LTCHs planned to sustain models of care implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results show that the most frequently reported models of care were related to healthy food options, exercise, music and art programs, and planned social activities for residents. Five barriers were identified in relation to implementing these models of care, which included: lack of funding, resources, or staffing; staff not being familiar with/reluctant to use the model; lack of resident buy-in; fear of COVID-19; and pandemic regulations. Common facilitators to implementation were also identified and included: staff support; resident/family buy-in; funding, legislation and/or resources provided; familiarity with model prior to COVID-19; and collaboration with other LTCHs. LTCHs perceived the models to be effective and planned to sustain most implemented models. LTCH managers discussed the need for funding and legislation to improve LTCHs and support the implementation of promising models of care. This study provides insight into the models of care implemented during the pandemic crisis period in Canadian LTCHs, how effective they were perceived to be, and plans for sustainment beyond the pandemic period.

In a September 2020 survey among adults in the United States, many respondents said that the COVID-19 pandemic did not change their interest in buying a home. Millennials were most likely to have changed their homeownership plans: ** percent of Millennials were more interested in buying a home due to the COVID-19 pandemic compared with **** percent of Baby Boomers.In the United States, the 2020 homeownership rate reached **** percent.

In a follow-up to his September article, “Commercial Banks Aid Canada’s Housing Market,” Lead Analyst Samuel Kanda explores deeper issues with Canada’s real estate market.

Hardware and home improvement stores’ revenue is forecast to rise at a compound annual rate of 1.4% over the five years through 2024 to reach €155.8 billion. Private spending on home renovation and maintenance, construction activity, environmental awareness and the number of households each play their part in determining sales. The EU and the UK enjoyed a housing market boom prior to 2023, when soaring mortgage rates deterred many from buying a new house. While demand for outfitting new houses is down, more Europeans are turning to repair, maintenance and renovation work on their existing properties, helping to raise sales of hardware and home improvement products. This trend accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, as people confined to their homes looked to refresh their surroundings and found themselves with more time to dedicate to DIY projects. Hardware and home improvement stores were deemed by many governments as essential businesses, allowing them to remain open during the lockdowns. In 2024, revenue growth is expected to be constrained by the cost-of-living crisis. Shoppers are increasingly price-sensitive and many are thinking twice before spending in response to intense inflationary pressures, cutting sales for many hardware and home improvement stores. Price inflation is expected to outweigh falling sales volumes, leading to revenue growth of 1% in 2024. Over the five years through 2029, hardware and home improvement stores’ revenue is slated to climb at a compound annual rate of 1.5% to reach €168 billion. Ever-growing levels of environmental awareness among Europeans will drive strong demand for sustainably sourced and energy-efficient products, like reclaimed wood and lithium-ion battery-powered hand tools. Competition from online-only retailers will continue to heat up, forcing hardware and home improvement stores to expand their in-store offerings to attract customers – augmented reality stations where shoppers can visualise their new products in their homes are one way retailers can try to do this.

In 2022, commercial property in the United States was bought for investment reasons by ** percent of realtors' foreign buyers . In comparison, in 2020, the share of respondents who bought property to rent it out was ** percent. The lower share in 2020 can be explained with the economic effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic during the year.

Several urban landscape planning solutions have been introduced around the world to find a balance between developing urban spaces, maintaining and restoring biodiversity, and enhancing quality of human life. Our global mini-review, combined with analysis of big data collected from Google Trends at global scale, reveals the importance of enjoying day-to-day contact with nature and engaging in such activities as nature observation and identification and gardening for the mental well-being of humans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Home-based activities, such as watching birds from one’s window, identifying species of plants and animals, backyard gardening, and collecting information about nature for citizen science projects, were popular during the first lockdown in spring 2020, when people could not easily venture out of their homes. In our mini-review, we found 37 articles from 28 countries with a total sample of 114,466 people. These papers suggest that home-based engagement with nature was an entertaining and pleasant distraction that helped preserve mental well-being during a challenging time. According to Google Trends, interest in such activities increased during lockdown compared to the previous five years. Millions of people worldwide are chronically or temporarily confined to their homes and neighborhoods because of illness, childcare chores, or elderly care responsibility, which makes it difficult for them to travel far to visit such places as national parks, created through land sparing, where people go to enjoy nature and relieve stress. This article posits that for such people, living in an urban landscape designed to facilitate effortless contact with small natural areas is a more effective way to receive the mental health benefits of contact with nature than visiting a sprawling nature park on rare occasions. Methods 1. Identifying the most common types of activities related to nature observation, gardening, and taxa identification during the first lockdown based on scientific articles and non-scientific press For scientific articles, in March 2023 we searched Scopus and Google Scholar. For countries where Google is restricted, such as China, similar results will be available from other scientific browsers, with the highest number of results from our database being available from Scopus. We used the Google Search browser to search for globally published non-scientific press articles. Some selection criteria were applied during article review. Specifically, we excluded articles that were not about the first lockdown; did not study activities at a local scale (from balcony, window, backyard) but rather in areas far away from home (e.g., visiting forests); studied the mental health effect of observing indoor potted plants and pet animals; or transiently mentioned the topic or keyword without going into any scientific detail. We included all papers that met our criteria, that is, studies that analyzed our chosen topic with experiments or planned observations. We included all research papers, but not letters that made claims without any data. Google Scholar automatically screened the title, abstract, keywords, and the whole text of each article for the keywords we entered. All articles that met our criteria were read and double-checked for keywords and content related to the keywords (e.g., synonyms or if they presented content about the relevant topic without using the specific keywords). We identified, from both types of articles, the major nature-based activities that people engaged in during the first lockdown in the spring of 2020. Keywords used in this study were grouped into six main topics: (1) COVID-19 pandemic; (2) nature-oriented activity focused on nature observation, identification of different taxa, or gardening; (3) mental well-being; (4) activities performed from a balcony, window, or in gardens; (5) entertainment; and (6) citizen science (see Table 1 for all keywords). 2. Increase in global trends in interest in nature observation, gardening, and taxa identification during the first lockdown We used the categorical cluster method, which was combined with big data from Google Trends (downloaded on 1 September 2020) and anomaly detection to identify trend anomalies globally in peoples’ interests. We used this combination of methods to examine whether interest in nature-based activities that were mentioned in scientific and nonscientific press articles increased during the first lockdown. Keywords linked with the main types of nature-oriented activities, as identified from press and scientific articles, and used according to the categorical clustering method were classified into the following six main categories: (1) global interest in bird-watching and bird identification combined with citizen science; (2) global interest in plant identification and gardening combined with citizen science; (3) global interest in butterfly watching, (4) local interest in early-spring (lockdown time), summer, or autumn flowering species that usually can be found in Central European (country: Poland) backyards; (5) global interest in traveling and social activities; and (6) global interest in nature areas and activities typically enjoyed during holidays and thus requiring traveling to land-spared nature reserves. The six categories were divided into 15 subcategories so that we could attach relevant words or phrases belonging to the same cluster and typically related to the activity (according to Google Trends and Google browser’s automatic suggestions; e.g., people who searched for “bird-watching” typically also searched for “binoculars,” “bird feeder,” “bird nest,” and “birdhouse”). The subcategories and keywords used for data collection about trends in society’s interest in the studied topic from Google Trends are as follows.

Bird-watching: “binoculars,” “bird feeder,” “bird nest,” “birdhouse,” “bird-watching”; Bird identification: “bird app,” “bird identification,” “bird identification app,” “bird identifier,” “bird song app”; Bird-watching combined with citizen science: “bird guide,” “bird identification,” “eBird,” “feeding birds,” “iNaturalist”; Citizen science and bird-watching apps: “BirdNET,” “BirdSong ID,” “eBird,” “iNaturalist,” “Merlin Bird ID”; Gardening: “gardening,” “planting,” “seedling,” “seeds,” “soil”; Shopping for gardening: “garden shop,” “plant buy,” “plant ebay,” “plant sell,” “plant shop”; Plant identification apps: “FlowerChecker,” “LeafSnap,” “NatureGate,” “Plantifier,” “PlantSnap”; Citizen science and plant identification: “iNaturalist,” “plant app,” “plant check,” “plant identification app,” “plant identifier”; Flowers that were flowering in gardens during lockdown in Poland: “fiołek” (viola), “koniczyna” (shamrock), “mlecz” (dandelion), “pierwiosnek” (primose), “stokrotka” (daisy). They are typical early-spring flowers growing in the gardens in Central Europe. We had to be more specific in this search because there are no plant species blooming across the world at the same time. These plant species have well-known biology; thus, we could easily interpret these results; Flowers that were not flowering during lockdown in Poland: “chaber” (cornflower), “mak” (poppy), “nawłoć” (goldenrod), “róża” (rose), “rumianek” (chamomile). They are typical mid-summer flowering plants often planted in gardens; Interest in traveling long distances and in social activities that involve many people: “airport,” “bus,” “café,” “driving,” “pub”; Single or mass commuting, and traveling: “bike,” “boat,” “car,” “flight,” “train”; Interest in distant places and activities for visiting natural areas: “forest,” “nature park,” “safari,” “trekking,” “trip”; Places and activities for holidays (typically located far away): “coral reef,” “rainforest,” “safari,” “savanna,” “snorkeling”; Butterfly watching: “butterfly watching,” “butterfly identification,” “butterfly app,” “butterfly net,” “butterfly guide”;

In Google Trends, we set the following filters: global search, dates: July 2016–July 2020; language: English.

In a ************** survey among adults in the United States, around ** percent were more interested in buying a home after the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. For ** percent of respondents, however, their interest had not changed due to the arrival of the pandemic. Interestingly enough, there were less women whose interest had not changed (** percent) than that there were men (** percent).In the United States, the 2020 homeownership rate reached **** percent.

In a September 2020 survey among adults in the United States, over half of respondents said that their interest in buying a home had not changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic (** percent). However, Hispanic respondents were more likely to have changed their plans (** percent) compared to white respondents (** percent). In the United States, the 2020 homeownership rate reached **** percent.

Homebuilders have endured considerable volatility. Immigration into Canada has led to unprecedented population growth, exacerbating an existing housing crisis. New housing starts haven't kept up with the population growth, making homebuilders more critical than ever to meet housing needs. Home shortages and changes in buying behaviour supported homebuilders during the COVID-19 pandemic early in the recent five year period. Still, the pandemic's disruption to global supply chains didn't spare contractors, with equipment and material costs reaching unprecedented highs. Interest rate hikes in 2022 and 2023 slowed new relevant housing construction, spurring apartment building construction as consumers increasingly sought out renting. Also, the First Time Homebuyer Incentive, which seemed like a potential boon to homebuilders, largely lacked success and was repealed. Industry-wide revenue has been declining at a CAGR of 0.1% over the past five years – totaling an estimated $30.3 billion in 2025 – when revenue will climb an estimated 1.6%. The Bank of Canada raising rates in 2022 and 2023 led to a massive slowdown for homebuilders, even as the Canadian government tried to ramp up the number of housing units constructed. Higher interest rates make developers cautious about new projects, drive up construction costs for builders and push potential homebuyers out of the market. The Bank of Canada has decreased rates in 2024 and 2025 for the first time since 2022, potentially providing a boost to homebuilders. Labour shortages for home builders have hiked wage costs and hindered profit. Homebuilders will enjoy solid growth over the next five years. Interest rate cuts and low housing supply will spur downstream homebuying activity. Still, labour shortages and material costs will continue to strain contractors' capacity. These challenges will impact the broader construction sector, incentivizing federal and provincial governments to fund workforce development and tech adoption programs. Government initiatives like the First-Time Home Buyers’ Tax Credit, the First Home Savings Account (FHSA) and the Home Buyers Plan (HBP) will support homebuilding. Homebuilders' revenue is forecast to expand at a CAGR of 1.7% to $33.0 billion through the end of 2030.

The Spain residential real estate market size was USD 145.18 Billion in 2022 and is likely to reach USD 264.67 Billion by 2031, expanding at a CAGR of 6.9% during 2023–2031. The growth of the market is attributed to the increase in construction as well as population.

Spain’s real estate market is posting a positive trend, especially in terms of demand. The revival in house sales was high in 2021. For instance, 468,000 transactions were completed by October 2021, a growth of 35.9% compared to 2020 and up by 8.3% on 2019. The activity in the residential sector was highest since 2008. A large part of this revival in demand has come from a reduction in pent-up demand and the forced savings accumulated during the months of lockdown and severely restricted travel, combined with highly favorable financing conditions, which make it more attractive to buy and invest in real estate assets. The residential sector is therefore on track to close 2021 with 545,000 sales in the year as a whole.

Before the pandemic began, the residential real estate market in Spain was growing at a healthy pace, which was then dented by Covid-19 as the construction of housing units came down. However, in 2021, the market was back on track with increase in construction.



As per the latest data from the Appraisal Society, it indicates that the price of new housing has remained stable, in a context of increased sales and improvement in economic indicators. The average price of new homes has grown 0.4% in Spain over the last 12 months to Euro 2,482 (approximately USD 2812) per square meter. This slight increase has been generalized and has been registered in 16 of the 17 autonomous communities.



The economic consequences of the Covid crisis made a dent in the real estate market, and has reflected in the 16.7% collapse of sales in Spain in 2020 to 419,898 transactions. As a result, experimental ways of life are introduced into the real estate market to compensate for the lack of social interaction between people.

Spain Residential Real Estate Market Trends, Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities

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In a September 2020 survey among adults in the United States, ** percent of Millennial parents said that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had made them more interested in purchasing a home compared with ** percent of GenX parents.In the United States, the 2020 homeownership rate reached **** percent.

Residential property sales to foreign buyers in the United States between 2010 and 2024 peaked in 2017 at a value of *** billion U.S. dollars. Since 2017, the value of property sales to foreign buyers dramatically decreased to pre-2010 values. The dramatic decline in 2021 was due to the economic effect of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic both in the U.S. and globally. By March 2025, property sales to foreign buyers in the United States amounted to ** billion U.S. dollars.

During a March 2020 survey of consumers in the United States, ** percent of respondents stated that if confined to their homes during the coronavirus, they were likely to purchase grocery store items online. Women seemed slightly more likely to do so, with (*.7 percent saying they would shop online for groceries, while the same was true for **** percent of responding men. Online delivery orders of groceries have surged in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and pasta delivery orders increased almost *** percent in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the previous year.For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

During a March 2020 survey of consumers in the United States, ** percent of respondents stated that if confined to their homes during the coronavirus, they were likely to purchase grocery store items online. Online delivery orders of groceries have surged in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and pasta delivery orders increased almost *** percent in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the previous year.For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

The number of U.S. home sales in the United States declined in 2024, after soaring in 2021. A total of four million transactions of existing homes, including single-family, condo, and co-ops, were completed in 2024, down from 6.12 million in 2021. According to the forecast, the housing market is forecast to head for recovery in 2025, despite transaction volumes expected to remain below the long-term average. Why have home sales declined? The housing boom during the coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated that being a homeowner is still an integral part of the American dream. Nevertheless, sentiment declined in the second half of 2022 and Americans across all generations agreed that the time was not right to buy a home. A combination of factors has led to house prices rocketing and making homeownership unaffordable for the average buyer. A survey among owners and renters found that the high home prices and unfavorable economic conditions were the two main barriers to making a home purchase. People who would like to purchase their own home need to save up a deposit, have a good credit score, and a steady and sufficient income to be approved for a mortgage. In 2022, mortgage rates experienced the most aggressive increase in history, making the total cost of homeownership substantially higher. Are U.S. home prices expected to fall? The median sales price of existing homes stood at 413,000 U.S. dollars in 2024 and was forecast to increase slightly until 2026. The development of the S&P/Case Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index shows that home prices experienced seven consecutive months of decline between June 2022 and January 2023, but this trend reversed in the following months. Despite mild fluctuations throughout the year, home prices in many metros are forecast to continue to grow, albeit at a much slower rate.