Redfin says Seattle ranks 6th among metro areas being abandoned by homebuyers

SEATTLE — Seattle is experiencing a significant demographic shift as post-pandemic migration continues to drive people out of the city. A new study by Redfin reveals Seattle is now ranked sixth among major metropolitan areas being abandoned by homebuyers.

Real estate analysts at Redfin found people are not only leaving the city, but they are considering moving out of the state altogether.

According to Redfin, Seattle shoppers are expressing the most interest in Phoenix real estate, but they’re also looking into more affordable options in the Las Vegas metro area.

Brenda Nunes is a managing broker at Keller Williams Eastside. After taking a look at this new study, she’s concerned the findings don’t provide a full picture.

“Redfin looks at people that are looking,” said Nunes. “It’s not the complete story. You need to talk to people who are actually moving and why they’re moving and I think you’ll find a lot of it is just lifestyle changes.”

Data from this Redfin study suggests about 4,700 real estate shoppers in the Seattle area are looking to move outside the state. Recent numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau also show that between July 1, 2021, and July 1, 2022, Washington had a net loss of about 3,600 people to other states.

Nelya Calev is a Bellevue-based real estate broker who has recent experience with clients looking elsewhere.

“My last two listings that I had, one on the eastside, one in Seattle,” said Calev. “Both sellers sold because they wanted to move out of state.”

Calev’s colleague, Peter Maragh, says he’s also picked up on the trend. His clients have been complaining about rising property taxes for years now.

“It was about 2018-2019, we started hearing the chatter,” said Maragh. “People started traveling outside of the state, trying to kind of see what it’s like on the other side.”

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