Annex 4 - methodology for main task 4 (mystery shopping)

AuthorConsumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (European Commission), Deloitte consortium, IPSOS, London Economics
Pages74-78
74
Annex 4 Methodology for Main Task 4 (Mystery shopping)
The mystery shopping exerci se att empted to replicate consumers’ experiences when it
comes to seekin g and comparing information regarding the letting or purchase of a
property (in their own country and another EU country), and when it comes to information
provision by real estate agent when enquiring about the possibilities for selling or letting a
property.
A4.1 Country selection
The mystery shopping was conducted in eight countries: Germany, Greece, Italy, the
Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden and the UK. These coun tries are not only
characterised by differences in the size of the real estate services market and the
regulatory framework, but al so by differences in performance of t he market (as observed
in the 2015 Consumer Scoreboard of the European Commission). Finally, there are also
differences between these countries in terms of the most common real estate transactions
(tenure status of the population), the frequency of such transactions (frequency of moving
to another dwelling) and the frequency of using real estate services.
Table 17: Country selection for mystery shopping
Market size
% of
consumers
who paid for
real estate
services in
past 3 years
(2015)
Tenure
status (%
owner,
2012)
% having
moved to
other
dwelling in
past 5
years
(2012)
Consumer scoreboard (2015)
Country
Number of
enterprises
real estate
(000s)
Type of
system
(regulated/
deregulated)
MPI per
country
(compared
to average
level)
Problems
and
detriment
(average
score - 0
to 10)
Satisfaction
with nmb.
suppliers/
retailers
(average
score - 0 to
10)
Importance
rating trust
(average
score - 0 to
10)
DE
205.3
Deregulated
34
51.9
21.9
78.2
9.3
7.8
7.9
EL
5.7
Deregulated
15
75.1
9.8
77.8
9.3
7.3
8.1
IT
243.6
Regulated
12
72.9
8.9
67.4
9.1
7.1
9.1
NL
27
Deregulated
15
67.8
24.6
72.8
9.4
7.3
8.4
PL
41.1
Deregulated
15
83.7
10.0
68.2
9.2
7.0
8.2
SE
59.6
Regulated
16
70.6
40.2
70.1
9.4
7.7
9.5
SI
2.4
Regulated
13
76.2
10.9
70.7
9.4
7.0
8.1
UK
83.2
Deregulated
15
63.5
30.8
66.2
8.4
7.7
8.8
Source:
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/consumer_evidence/consumer_scoreboards/index_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php/EU_statistics_on_income_and_living_conditions_(EU-SILC)_-_2012_housing_conditions
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php/File:Table_4a_Key_indicators,_real_estate_activities_(NACE_Section_L),_2013.png#filelin
ks
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php/File:Table_4a_Key_indicators,_real_estate_activities_(NACE_Section_L),_2013.png#filelin
ks

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