Three out of Four People Believe They Have Good Neighbors

Realtor.com®'s 2018 Good Neighbors Report finds that good neighbors don't need to be friendly, but should be quiet and respectful of property

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Oct 18, 2018, 09:00 ET

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Three out of four people believe they have good neighbors, according to realtor.com^®'s new Good Neighbor Report. All demographics agreed that the ideal neighbor is trustworthy, quiet, friendly and respectful, but there's no need to maintain a close friendship in order to be considered a 'good neighbor'.

The new report, prepared by Harris Interactive, surveyed more than 1,000 participants across the U.S.

Realtor.com®’s Good Neighbor Report found that 3 out of 4 people think they have a good neighbor.

"While it's true that some people focus on what annoys them about their neighbor, it's a welcome surprise to see that people generally think positively of their neighbors," said Nate Johnson, chief marketing officer at realtor.com^®. "Trust and dependability plays an integral part in helping a neighborhood feel like 'home'. Building it can be as easy as stopping by to say hello."

Realtor.com^®'s 2018 Percentage of Good Neighbors
"Do you have a good neighbor?"

	Total	Male	Female	18-34	35-54	55+
Yes	77%	82%	72%	72%	76%	81%
No	7%	5%	8%	7%	7%	6%
Maybe / Don't Know	17%	14%	20%	21%	17%	13%

While 77 percent of those surveyed are generally satisfied with their neighbors, women (8 percent) are the most likely to say they do not have good neighbors while 20 percent aren't sure whether or not they have good neighbors. The Gen Z demographic is most likely to be unsure of whether or not they have good neighbors at 21 percent, compared to their Gen X (17 percent) and Gen Y (13 percent) counterparts.

Trust thy neighbor, and keep the noise down

Across all demographics, being trustworthy (59 percent) and quiet (50 percent) are the most important qualities a neighbor can have, even trumping friendliness (46 percent). Females in particular considered 'trustworthy' as a must-have trait in a good neighbor, as well as those older than 35 years of age (63 percent and 62 percent, respectively).

Millennials and Gen Z respondents (age groups 18-34) and older adults ages 55+ tend to care most about having friendly neighbors, with 48 percent and 49 percent, respectively, seeing it as a top trait. The least appreciated quality for all groups surveyed was having a close friendship with a neighbor. Only 9 percent of women see close friendship as a must-have for good neighbors, while men rate it somewhat higher, at 20 percent.

Realtor.com^®'s 2018 Good Neighbor Qualities

	Total	Male	Female	18-34	35-54	55+
Trustworthy	59%	55%	63%	52%	62%	62%
Quiet	50%	48%	52%	45%	48%	55%
Friendly	46%	44%	48%	48%	41%	49%
Respectful	43%	45%	41%	49%	47%	35%
Clean/Neat	36%	36%	37%	31%	33%	44%
Mature	26%	27%	25%	32%	26%	22%
Helpful	25%	26%	25%	26%	27%	24%
Friendship	14%	20%	9%	17%	17%	10%

When it came to ranking a neighbor's worst traits, however, untrustworthiness came in at third place (54 percent). Sixty-seven percent view being disrespectful of property as the worst trait a potential neighbor can have, followed by loud (60 percent). Being nosy, messy, and unfriendly round out the list of undesirable qualities.

Welcome others as you would have them welcome you

Welcoming new residents to the neighborhood can establish an amicable rapport from the get-go. Certain practices are preferred by almost everyone, but the report shows that neighbors don't always follow through with welcoming residents the way they themselves would like to be welcomed to a new area.

The most common welcoming method preferred by 65 percent of survey participants? Just a simple introduction. However, only 46 percent of respondents reported that their neighbors stopped by for a quick greeting, and 39 percent were never welcomed to the neighborhood in any fashion.

About realtor.com^®

Realtor.com^®, The Home of Home Search℠, offers an extensive inventory of for-sale and rental listings, and access to information, tools and professional expertise that help people move confidently through every step of their home journey. It pioneered the world of digital real estate 20 years ago, and today is the trusted resource for home buyers, sellers and dreamers by making all things home simple, efficient and enjoyable. Realtor.com^® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. under a perpetual license from the National Association of REALTORS^®. For more information, visit realtor.com^®.

Media Contact:
Realtor.com^®
Tammy Lee
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SOURCE realtor.com