More people are returning to the office, with office foot traffic reaching 72.2% of pre-pandemic levels. With most companies opting for hybrid work models, workers are reconsidering where to live and buy homes. According to real estate marketing platform Realtor.com, the top five cities with the highest percentage of workers going into the office are Miami, at 90.6%; followed by New York City, at 89.6%; Dallas, at 76.9%; Atlanta, at 76.7%; and Washington, D.C., at 73.9%.
“The pandemic seems to have shifted buyer preferences to some degree,” says Hannah Jones, Realtor.com® senior economic research analyst. “Many home shoppers are looking to balance their personal and professional lives by buying in areas that are close enough to the office to commute a few days a week, but offer more space, lower prices, and a slower-paced lifestyle than a large metro.”