Location tops the list for buyer price perceptions, say practitioners

For many buyers, the value of a property begins long before they step through the front door. Proximity to good schools, healthcare, shopping centres, popular amenities, and safe, attractive neighbourhoods can make or break their sense of what a home is "worth". As property practitioners know all too well, even the most well-presented home can fall flat if the location doesn’t match expectations. 

According to a Prop Data poll, over 65% of practitioners say location contributes most to buyer perceptions of property value, outranking other key factors like property condition, finishes and amenities, and even size and layout.

Why location still sells a property

When it comes to buyer perceptions of property value, location continues to lead the conversation, not just for its lifestyle appeal, employment opportunities, safety record, and investment potential, but for something that impacts day-to-day living: municipal performance. Reliable service delivery is becoming non-negotiable for many buyers. As rising utility tariffs and municipal rates put a strain on households, more people are choosing to live and invest in areas where the basics simply work.

Practitioners are seeing this firsthand in regions like the West Coast, where consistently high standards of local governance have become a standout selling point. According to the Auditor General’s latest review, the West Coast District Municipality is the best-run in the country, achieving clean audits for 14 consecutive years. 

A municipality that receives a clean audit displays strong financial and performance management practices and this can translate into real property value. As an example, Seeff West Coast licensee Pierre Germishuys reports that the average property price in the broader West Coast and Swartland area has climbed by around 67% — from R836,000 to R1.4 million — with demand continuing to grow.

Proximity to popular amenities, particularly high-performing schools, is another powerful driver of buyer decision-making. In many areas across South Africa, parents are not just changing suburbs, but relocating cities to secure placements at the country’s top private and public schools. This concentrated demand has a direct impact on property markets near in-demand schools, where available homes are limited and families tend to stay put for 15 to 20 years. As competition for school spots grows, so too does the value of living nearby, with many institutions giving admission preference to learners within the immediate catchment. For time-pressed parents, reducing daily traffic stress is also a major priority, making short school commutes a high-value convenience and a compelling selling point for property practitioners.

Building a case for price through place

The right address often sells itself, but not always to the buyer. Use your pricing conversation to unpack what they are really paying for when they become part of a neighbourhood.

1. Match the location to a buyer’s needs

Trish Kennedy, Principal/Owner of Zest Property Group, reminds practitioners that ‘location’ means different things to different people, and it’s your job to explore them all. “It has many aspects: privacy, convenience in terms of schools, shops, highways, crime statistics, even north/south facing, aesthetic appeal," she explains. “While not every element will matter to every buyer, these factors all contribute to the overall value, especially when they decide to sell in future.”

2. Spell out the perks they’ll enjoy

“Practitioners should go beyond just mentioning the suburb,” says Aaron Grant Ruiter, Group Operations and Technology Manager at Harcourts Rhino.

“They need to articulate the benefits of that specific location. This includes proximity to essential amenities like good schools, medical facilities, shopping centres, and transport links (e.g., Gautrain stations or major highways.”

Gregory Van Wijk, Owner of Just Property Summit, agrees, emphasising the importance of highlighting “a property's location by focusing on lifestyle benefits and future value potential.”

3. The next hotspot? Show the signs

“Highlight growth plans for the area, upcoming developments, infrastructure upgrades, or specific community features (e.g., parks and security initiatives) as this can also add perceived value,” suggests Ruiter.

“By showing how the location adds long-term value and desirability, practitioners can help buyers see beyond the building itself and better understand the pricing,” adds Van Wijk.







Show what makes the area worth it

Here are a few ways you can highlight an area’s appeal with the help of Prop Data and our partner Lightstone:

• Add an area profile: This web page appears along with your properties and offers key insights that unpack a suburb’s lifestyle, amenities, and investment potential.
  
  
• Embrace the power of Nova: This Prop Data real estate website theme includes Lightstone’s real estate market intelligence reporting in critical journey pages. It helps visitors understand the areas and property types they’re viewing and the potential returns on investment.
  
  
• Share a Lightstone suburb report: This comprehensive report provides an overview of a neighbourhood’s boundaries, properties, amenities, and homeowner demographic information. It’s perfect to include along with a property brochure on a show day.
  
  
• Use Prop Data’s Valuations Module: This lets you send automated online valuations using industry-leading data from our trusted partner Lightstone as well as from your own comparable listing databases.