According to a recent study, parks are perks more than ever

Sometimes it can be just difficult to sell a home.

But there is one old neighborhood amenity that has a new reason to be considered as a great marketing tool, according to a recent study in Britain.

What’s this marketing phenomena? Green spaces.

According to the results of a five year study, people who live near green spaces tend to have better mental health.

Simply put, green spaces are something you want to promote when showing properties and there is a tool, SpatialMatch, which enables you to show MLS listings on a map, alongside neighborhood hot spots.

The study was conducted with 1,000 participants in a British Household Panel Survey.

They studied two groups of people – those who moved to greener urban areas and those who lived near less greener urban areas.

Sure, you would think people would prefer to live near parks or green areas.

But what the study found is that movers near green aresa experienced an immediate lift in mental health. A lift that lasted for at least three years after they moved.

Wow. That’s an enormous benefit. A benefit that’s worth another look. And an added emphasis.

In regard to marketing, using this data, all of a sudden a park can adds more value to a property. More urgency for a buyer to make an offer.

And that’s a benefit that has no cost to the home seller.

With SpatialMatch technology, you can pull up home listings from the local MLS that meets a buyer’s specifications.

Looking for a 3/2 with a garage? No problem.

Want to be near a middle school? All school locations are accessible on SpatialMatch.

In fact, there is detailed school data such as enrollment, student/teacher ratios, etc.

But, the icing on the cake could be those green areas.

With SpatialMatch, you can pull up all the parks in the area. There’s even a distance slider that allows you to designate a certain distance in miles.

What can a broker or agent do with this study?

For one, maybe a buyer shrugs off the allure of a park nearby. They want a pool in the backyard instead. Or they want some improvements to the property in question.

This study might make them take a second look.

Or, perhaps there is a home that does need work. The value of a park nearby might help overcome that objection.

Happy mental health is certainly more important than new paint in the garage.

More and more people are widening their criteria when they search for a home. They don’t just want a structure, they want a great neighborhood, they want a lifestyle.

Don’t ignore these favorable factors. And as the adage goes, it’s better to show than tell.

With SpatialMatch you can point out all the parks you want – on a drawn map, on a satellite photo.

With the right marketing tools that show neighborhood amenities, those green spaces can turn into green for brokers and agents as well.

For more information on SpatialMatch technology and real estate data from Home Junction, click here.