Social networks and getting a home: Do contacts matter?

Under what conditions does one find a new home via one's social network? Does the way in which a house is acquired affect how satisfied one is with the house? We formulate hypotheses on the characteristics of personal networks, the context of the move and their effect on those who attain a hous...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social networks 2009, Vol.31 (1), p.40-51
Main Authors: Röper, Andrea, Völker, Beate, Flap, Henk
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Home Ownership
Housing needs
Housing satisfaction
Informal groups
Interpersonal relationships. Groups. Leadership
Netherlands
Personal contact
Returns of social contacts
Satisfaction
Social capital
Social Networks
Social psychology
Social relations
Sociology
Survey data
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Summary:Under what conditions does one find a new home via one's social network? Does the way in which a house is acquired affect how satisfied one is with the house? We formulate hypotheses on the characteristics of personal networks, the context of the move and their effect on those who attain a house through informal channels and how satisfied they are with the new home. We use a representative dataset from the Netherlands (the Survey of the Social Networks of the Dutch, SSND, n = 1007) to test our arguments. Our results show that buyers with more diverse social networks and renters with larger social networks are more likely to find their home via social contacts. However, finding a home through an informal channel does not enhance their satisfaction with the house that is found.
ISSN:0378-8733
1879-2111
DOI:10.1016/j.socnet.2008.09.002