Increase in Single-Person Households Leads to More Searches for Studio Apartments in Sillim-dong and Bongcheon-dong
Demand from University Students Decreases Due to Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic
[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] According to a survey, the most searched area by users of the real estate platform Dabang in the first quarter of this year was Gwanak-gu, Seoul. This is interpreted as mainly searches for Sillim-dong and Bongcheon-dong, where one-room apartments are concentrated, due to the increase in single-person households.
Dabang announced the results of its application user trend survey for the first quarter of this year on the 10th. According to the survey, the largest age group of Dabang app users was 25-34 years old, including young professionals and office workers, accounting for 36.2%. Next were 18-24 years old, including freshmen university students and job seekers, at 28.8%, followed by 35-44 years old at 14.4%, 45-54 years old at 10.4%, and those aged 55 and above at 7.8%.
Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and continued online lectures at universities, the number of university students (18-24 years old) searching for rooms decreased by 3.7% compared to the same period last year. On the other hand, the 25-34 age group increased by 5.4% compared to the same period last year. This trend appears to reflect the recent increase in single-person households actively searching for rooms.
The Seoul area most searched by Dabang users was Gwanak-gu (37.1%), confirmed to be Sillim-dong and Bongcheon-dong, where one-room apartments are concentrated. Gwanak-gu, which includes these areas, has the highest youth population ratio in the country at around 40%. Following this were Gangseo-gu (16.8%), where Hwagok-dong is located along Subway Line 5 and has high demand from Yeouido office workers; Gangnam-gu (15.4%), with high searches for Yeoksam-dong and Nonhyeon-dong; Jungnang-gu (8.7%), where Myeonmok-dong, densely populated with multi-family and multi-household residences, is located; and Dongjak-gu (4.8%), where Sadang-dong, known for its triple subway station access and convenient express bus transportation, is located.
With a cumulative download count of 23 million and a monthly active user (MAU) count reaching 5 million, Dabang analyzed app user data from January to March in the first quarter. The results showed an increased proportion of office workers seeking better living spaces, and users’ interests expanded beyond rooms to include pre-sale properties according to their life cycles.
Expectations for housing supply in the first quarter of this year grew, leading to a 38.6% increase in views of the ‘Pre-sale Information Center’ within the app compared to the same period last year. Among the ‘Theme Pre-sale’ information in the Dabang app, users searching for ‘Reconstruction and Redevelopment’ in Seoul and Gyeonggi areas accounted for the largest share at 43.5%. Other areas of high interest included ‘Station Area’ (27.7%) for easy commuting, ‘Mall Area’ (18.4%) adjacent to large marts and department stores, and ‘Large Complex’ (8.3%) with developed infrastructure.
Park Sung-min, General Director of Business Marketing at Station3, said, “Recently, the dominance of office workers among app users has become prominent, and there has been an increase in searches related to government housing supply plans and redevelopment/reconstruction information. Dabang will continue to strengthen related content areas to provide useful real estate information to the relatively underserved 2030 generation.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
