What MA & RI Consumers Are Actually Asking (80/20 Market Research)
What MA & RI Consumers Are Actually Asking — And Why Agents Aren’t Answering Them (Yet)
Real estate agents love to talk about what they think matters. But Chapter 21 challenges that:
“Markets are conversations. If you’re not listening, you’re not leading.”
This week’s STAT doesn’t focus on interest rates or inventory. It focuses on what MA and RI consumers are saying through their searches, fears, and behavior — and on the tools agents should be using to hear them clearly.
Because the difference between the average agent and the standout agent isn’t talent.
It’s observation.
What Consumers Actually Search for When Choosing an Agent
Google Trends and local keyword data show a MASSIVE disconnect between what consumers search for and what agents promote.
Typical MA & RI searches include:
“best time to sell in MA”
“closing costs MA 2025”
“first time buyer programs RI”
“how to sell fast in 2025”
“how to win a bidding war without waiving inspection”
“is Boston real estate dropping”
This is the real-time consumer mind.
But how does an agent find these?
Tools to Identify Consumer Search Demand
Google Trends (free): Compare “sell my house” vs. “market crash” vs. “best time to sell MA.”
Google Autocomplete (free): Type “how to buy a house…” and look at live suggestions.
AnswerThePublic (freemium): Reveals what questions people ask (e.g., “Is Providence a good investment?”).
Keywords Everywhere ($): Tracks real search volume for phrases like “best towns to live MA.”
YouTube Search + Comments (free): A goldmine of real buyer and seller questions.
These tools tell you exactly what consumers want explained — and exactly what content to produce.
What Buyers Fear Most Right Most - and How Agents Can Track It
Fannie Mae, Bankrate, and KCM reveal the same emotional drivers in MA & RI:
fear of overpaying
fear of buying before selling
fear of repairs and hidden costs
fear of high monthly payments
fear of “timing the market wrong”
But agents don’t need national data to discover these fears.
They can find them locally using:
Nextdoor (free): Look for threads like “Is it still worth buying in _____?”
Reddit → r/Boston, r/Providence, r/FirstTimeHomeBuyer (free): Buyers openly share concerns.
Facebook Groups (free): Town groups often discuss property taxes, school concerns, condo issues.
Your own database (free): Ask “What’s worrying you most about the market right now?”
Real estate isn’t driven by data alone. It’s driven by perceived risk. These tools reveal where the fear lives — so agents can speak directly to it.
Content Gaps — What Consumers Search For but Agents Rarely Address
This one is almost embarrassing… and is where the biggest opportunity lies.
Search data shows consumers obsess over topics most agents never address publicly, including:
“best towns near Boston for commuting under $650k”
“affordable RI beach towns”
“capital gains selling a home in MA”
“buy now or wait until rates drop”
“how to buy and sell at the same time”
How does an agent identify these gaps?
Google Search Console (if they have a website): Reveals topics where you appear but don’t rank.
People Also Ask boxes on Google: Shows unanswered questions.
Hotjar or CrazyEgg (optional): Shows where consumers hesitate on your site.
Competitor Audit (manual): Review the top 10 agent websites — what do they never talk about?
When agents identify the questions no one in their market is answering, they immediately become the most valuable voice in the room because consumers want actionable advice, not templated posts.
Agents who step into these gaps become the “local economist of choice.”
Micro-Market Advantages — ZIP Codes Where Research Beats Marketing
Every year, certain MA & RI ZIP codes reward the agent who pays attention instead of the agent who out-advertises.
These are ZIPs where:
DOM suddenly drops
new condo special assessments emerge
school perception shifts
ADU policies change
sewer/water expansion resets value
flood map updates dramatically influence insurance
median price band compresses or expands rapidly
To find these patterns, agents can use:
MLS Hot Sheets (MLS PIN + Statewide MLS): Look for sudden movement or price-change clusters.
Realtor.com Market Hotness Index (free): ZIP-level demand signals.
Redfin Data Center (free): Migration patterns and offer competition rates.
MA GIS / RI GIS (free): Flood zones, zoning overlays, ADU allowances.
Town Planning Board Minutes (free): Early alerts on zoning and infrastructure changes.
Rate plug-in tools (e.g., MBS Highway) (pro): Analyze payment sensitivity by region.
When micro-markets move, they move quietly before they move loudly. Agents who do this research gain months of informational advantage.
The Takeaway: Real Expertise Comes From Listening Better, Not Working Harder
Chapters 20 and 21 make the same point: You don’t need more effort — you need sharper attention.
Agents who:
know what consumers truly ask
understand what consumers actually fear
identify content gaps
spot micro-market shifts
and use the right tools to observe, not guess
…become authorities.
Not by shouting louder. But by speaking more meaningfully.
Consumers don’t hire the agent with the biggest billboard. They hire the agent who can explain the market in a way that makes them feel safe, confident, and understood.
You don’t need to be a statistician to become that agent. You just need one afternoon of the right tools and the willingness to look in places other agents ignore.
