The study aims to present preliminary marketing data for sales and planning of apartment business by identifying recent choice factors of apartment purchase for consumers and analyzing critical factors in order to understand preference trend for apartments, and to suggest effective marketing strategies that can bring consumer satisfaction and deal with changes of future market based on the outcomes of analysis.
The spatial range of study for the analysis is Gangseo-gu area (the West side of Han River), Seoul, and the actual condition of choice factors for apartment purchase was conducted with a questionnaire for those who are living in apartments or those who are willing to live in apartments. Firstly, choice factors that are considered when purchasing an apartment was classified into 5 top factors according to properties as neighborhood, characteristics of apartment complex, characteristics of apartment, economic feasibility, and brand. Also, the ranking of preference and others were analyzed around demographic factors.
When identifying top-class factors of those surveyed for purchasing apartment, the economic feasibility ranked no.1 followed by the characteristics of apartment complex, the characteristics of apartments, neighborhood, and brand in order. Moreover, when studying sub-factors of each of them, the convenience of public transportation was the most important factor for neighborhood; parking space for the characteristics of apartment complex; ventilation system for the characteristics of apartments; and after-service for brand. Meanwhile, for the economic feasibility which took the first place from the top-class factors, it was identified that the pollees prioritize investment value for the future so that it can be confirmed that the recognition of housing as investment goods is still prevalent. In other words, the results directly reflect the recognition of consumers that they recognize housing not only for residence but also as investment techniques as well as the way of capital accumulation.
The study of residential characteristics and preference around demographic properties including age, income level, gender, and education level of those surveyed reveal that older people tend to live in bigger houses. Also those who are in the higher income bracket tend to choose to live in apartments, and they prefer bigger size of houses and apartments at the same time. Moreover people with higher education level tend to live in bigger houses and their preferred size of housing tends to be increased. The priority among top-class choice factors considering demographic properties was the economic feasibility as well, so that consumers consider the future investment value and the price of sales very seriously.