Staying at home during the coronavirus lockdown gave residents in Italy a lot more free time, including more time to search on the web. According to a recent survey by Microsoft Advertising, which monitored the research trends on Bing, real estate research represented a significant slice of interest in Italy.
In general, Italian residents carried out 67% more online searches than usual during lockdown, in particular related to electronics (TVs, tablets, smartphones and computers), which grew by 123%. A 60% increase in searches was also seen in the area of publishing, news and online spending, as well as 51% for online training.
However, a lot of Italians' online time was also dedicated to searching for and understanding how to improve their homes. Research on garden products and furnishings has risen by whopping 900%, while research into new household appliances has seen growth of 66%.
In itself, the real estate sector saw a drop in activity and online searches at the beginning of lockdown in Italy. However, Microsoft notes that between April and May, searches in this area rose, with a view to a return to normality or a possible change in future housing arrangements, with more and more residents exploring the options of living in an area with more space or with a garden. In the first two weeks of May, searches rose by 40% compared to the strictest times of the lockdown period, as did searches related to accessing credit and mortgages, which rose by 25%.
"The last few months have been particularly complex in Italy but we have been able to adapt by informing ourselves online, buying the products we need to study and work from home and take advantage of our free time to learn something and make the space we live in more welcoming," commented Francesca Romagnoli, Sr Account Director of Microsoft Advertising. "But the pandemic has also brought the desire to change some things in our lives: 26% of Italians said they want to live in a more sustainable way, 20% would like to find a new job and 15% would like to move house."
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