Going through ads for properties for sale on Centris and other real estate agency sites, whether sumptuous homes, retro chalets or duplexes to transform, is a popular pastime. Many of these curious people call themselves addicts. Others say it’s “relaxing.”
“It’s like a disease,” laughs Marie Plourde, councilor for Plateau-Mont-Royal, in Montreal. I have always been a dog-earer… I like to look out of the windows of houses while walking in the evening. »
Her passion dates back to 2015, when she was looking for accommodation. Since then, it has only grown: on weekend mornings, she looks at the classified ads for houses for an hour or two, while having her coffee. “If I’m having a more stressful time, I might watch more than that,” she admits. It takes me somewhere else, it allows me to unwind. There’s something calming about that! »
Her hobby was transposed to TV: for a few seasons, Marie Plourde and her partner Chantal Lamarre held a “house” segment during the show Infoman. With humor, they presented their unusual real estate finds.
During the 2021 municipal campaign, the replacement mayor of Montreal went door to door… an activity that satisfied her great curiosity for the interior of homes. “Sometimes I would say, ‘Oh, your place looks lovely,’ and sometimes I would be invited to visit. Maybe five or six times. I don’t abuse it, but… I accept without hesitation! »
For very different reasons, Andrée Mayette is also a fan of real estate classifieds. The 47-year-old resident of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield examines what’s new on the market every morning at 5 a.m. She even created an Excel file to track certain properties.
Her enthusiasm pushed her to take her broker course. “I don’t have my license to practice,” she emphasizes. I did it for fun! »
Another enthusiast? For 10 years, Arielle Ahuva Grenier, a 33-year-old Montrealer, has been going to bed early to look at listings for properties for sale. This lover of ancestral houses, renovated, refurbished and improved, says she is “having an eyeful”. “My father has a house that dates from the years 1780-1805,” says this public affairs and media relations advisor. When I look at transformed houses, which embrace their age in modernity while retaining their soul, I like it. It gives me ideas. »
Like Marie Plourde, Ms. Grenier talks about her curiosity as a hobby that allows her to relax. “If I’m anxious about my work, I go there on my lunch hour,” she admits.
The interest shown by all these real estate curious people is good for the industry, believes Marc Lacasse, real estate broker and president of the Professional Association of Brokers of Quebec.
The ripple effect is real. He cites the typical case of new owners who publish photos of their property or comments on it… and titillate their loved ones. “They will receive visits from their friends and they will say: ‘ah, we like the neighborhood, we would be close to you, let us know if you see a house for sale in the area…’ People are busy, they don’t have time to do research. »
Another effect of the proliferation of published photos of homes for sale is the end of “voyeurism”: when potential buyers show up for an open house, they have already seen the interior of the home. “It’s the end of the wouèreux,” notes Mr. Lacasse, laughing. People have everything at their fingertips. Properties have so much exposure now! »
Good news for real estate lovers like Marie Plourde! “I have a housing addiction,” she notes. It’s a need, it makes me feel good, like others do their glass of wine! »