Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Neighbourhood identities and household location choice: estate agents' perspectives

Neighbourhood identities and household location choice: estate agents' perspectives Purpose – Previous research suggests that household location choice is determined by factors, such as affordability, family life cycle, distance from work and accessibility to the city centre. The purpose of this paper is to understand other psychological factors that may influence this decision, and specifically the effects of self identity and neighbourhood identity. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative methodology using an interpretive approach is adopted, seeking to understand the complex nature of reality. In‐depth interviews were carried out with eight experienced real estate agents working in two affluent suburbs close to Auckland's central business district in New Zealand. Findings – Findings suggest that, subject to factors such as affordability and availability of appropriate accommodation, individual identity and suburb identity play an important role in determining neighbourhood choice. In addition to these findings, the paper proposes a conceptual model of the construction and manifestation of suburb identity incorporating both the results of the study and an understanding of the extant literature. Research limitations/implications – The study is not an attempt to generalise its results and therefore further research into neighbourhood branding and how it links to suburb choice is recommended Social implications – The study also adds a further behavioural dimension to the understanding of a collective interpretation of cities. Since part of the unique character of a city is reflected through its residents, planners need to understand what attracts different types of people to a city. Originality/value – Whilst preliminary, the implications of this study emphasise the importance for valuers and real estate agents of understanding the type of people who are attracted to particular neighbourhoods, how these individuals perceive themselves and why they are attracted to specific locations. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Place Management and Development Emerald Publishing

Neighbourhood identities and household location choice: estate agents' perspectives

Download PDF
21 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/neighbourhood-identities-and-household-location-choice-estate-agents-pkmiUsuJYW
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
1753-8335
DOI
10.1108/17538331111176066
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – Previous research suggests that household location choice is determined by factors, such as affordability, family life cycle, distance from work and accessibility to the city centre. The purpose of this paper is to understand other psychological factors that may influence this decision, and specifically the effects of self identity and neighbourhood identity. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative methodology using an interpretive approach is adopted, seeking to understand the complex nature of reality. In‐depth interviews were carried out with eight experienced real estate agents working in two affluent suburbs close to Auckland's central business district in New Zealand. Findings – Findings suggest that, subject to factors such as affordability and availability of appropriate accommodation, individual identity and suburb identity play an important role in determining neighbourhood choice. In addition to these findings, the paper proposes a conceptual model of the construction and manifestation of suburb identity incorporating both the results of the study and an understanding of the extant literature. Research limitations/implications – The study is not an attempt to generalise its results and therefore further research into neighbourhood branding and how it links to suburb choice is recommended Social implications – The study also adds a further behavioural dimension to the understanding of a collective interpretation of cities. Since part of the unique character of a city is reflected through its residents, planners need to understand what attracts different types of people to a city. Originality/value – Whilst preliminary, the implications of this study emphasise the importance for valuers and real estate agents of understanding the type of people who are attracted to particular neighbourhoods, how these individuals perceive themselves and why they are attracted to specific locations.

Journal

Journal of Place Management and Development – Emerald Publishing

Published: Oct 11, 2011

Keywords: New Zealand; Residential property; Residential areas; Consumer behaviour; Suburb identity; Personal identity; Neighbourhood choice

References

  • A theoretical and methodological approach to the study of residential satisfaction
    Amérigo, M.; Aragonés, J.L.
  • Possessions and the extended self
    Belk, R.
  • Consumer Behavior
    Blackwell, R.D.; Miniard, P.W.; Engel, J.F.
  • Case‐research in marketing: problems and opportunities and a process
    Bonoma, T.V.
  • Estate agents as interpreters of economic and cultural capital: the gentrification of economic and cultural capital: the gentrification premium in the Sydney housing market
    Bridge, G.
  • Social capital, gentrication and neighbourhood change in London: a comparison of three South London, neighbourhoods
    Butler, T.; Robson, G.
  • Households and Housing: Choice and Outcomes in the Housing Market
    Clark, W.A.V.; Dieleman, F.M.
  • The life course and residential mobility in British housing markets
    Clark, W.A.V.; Huang, Y.
  • Book review of ‘ Status, Growth and the Environment: Goods as Symbols in Applied Welfare Economics ’ by Kjell Arne Brekke and Richard B. Howarth; Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, 2002
    Cullen, R.
  • From Brand Vision to Brand Evaluation: Strategically Building and Sustaining Brand
    de Chernatony, L.
  • Urban Economics and Real Estate Markets
    DiPasquale, D.; Wheaton, W.
  • The Social Psychology of Material Possessions: To Have Is To Be
    Dittmar, H.
  • Status consumption in consumer behavior: scale development and validation
    Eastman, J.K.; Goldsmith, R.E.; Flynn, L.R.
  • Building theories from case study research
    Eisenhardt, K.M.
  • Settled people don't move: on life course and (im‐)mobility in Sweden
    Fischer, P.A.; Malmberg, M.
  • Processes of place identification and residential satisfaction
    Fleury‐Bahi, G.; Félonnear, M.L.; Marchand, D.
  • Social cohesion, social capital and the neighbourhood
    Forrest, R.; Kearns, A.
  • Community attachment in mass society
    Karsada, J.D.; Janowitz, M.
  • Housing as a way of life: towards an understanding of middle‐class families' preference for an urban residential location
    Karsten, L.
  • Cities and their brands: lessons from corporate branding
    Kavaratzis, M.
  • Place marketing: how did we get here and where are we going?
    Kavaratzis, M.; Ashworth, G.
  • Life cycle and environmental factors in selecting residential and job locations
    Kim, T.K.; Horner, M.W.; Marans, R.
  • Urbanity, lifestyle and making sense of the new urban cultural economy: notes from Auckland, New Zealand
    Latham, A.
  • Qualitative methodology and ground theory in property research
    Levy, D.; Lee, C.K.C.
  • Influences and emotions: exploring family decision‐making processes when buying a house
    Levy, D.; Murphy, L.; Lee, C.K.C.
  • Naturalistic Enquiry
    Lincoln, Y.S.; Guba, E.G.
  • Living apart? Place, identity and South Asian residential choice
    McGarrigle, J.; Kearns, A.
  • Making Good Sense: Drawing and Verifying Conclusions, in Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Source Book
    Miles, M.B.; Huberman, A.M.
  • Sampling in grounded theory
    Morse, J.M.
  • Homo‐economicus in the city: towards an urban socio‐economic research agenda
    Munro, M.
  • Globalisation and emerging property trends in Auckland
    Murphy, L.
  • A modernized family life cycle
    Murphy, P.E.; Staples, W.
  • New communicative challenges, Dundee, place branding and the reconstruction of a city image
    Peel, D.; Lloyd, G.
  • Place identity; physical world socialization of the self
    Proshansky, H.M.; Fabian, A.K.; Kaminoff, R.
  • Performing (housing) markets
    Smith, S.J.; Munro, M.; Christie, H.
  • ‘I'm a rural person’: sense of place for rural health care professionals
    Spinaz, A.
  • Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory
    Strauss, A.; Corbin, J.
  • Place and identity processes
    Twigger‐Ross, C.; Uzzell, D.
  • The effectiveness of the family life cycle
    Wagner, J.; Hanna, S.
  • The life cycle concept
    Wells, W.D.; Gubar, G.
  • Case‐study research – design and methods
    Yin, R.K.