Listings already include info on a listing’s risk for flooding but going forward, they’ll also have a warning about the potential risk from wildfire damage.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Realtor.com says it’s the first major real estate site to add property-specific wildfire risk information to for-sale and off-market homes free of cost. Listings advertised on Realtor.com will now include a “Fire Factor” rating from First Street Foundation, a nonprofit research and technology group, as well as information from USDA Forest Service.
“Realtor.com was the first real estate site to display flood risk data on home listings and maps,” says Sara Brinton, lead product manager, Realtor.com. “By integrating wildfire risk data directly into maps and property listings, we can help homebuyers feel confident when making one of the biggest purchases of their lives.”
According to a recent survey released by Realtor.com and conducted by HarrisX, 71% of recent homebuyers considered natural disasters when considering where to move – and 47% are more concerned about natural disasters now than they were five years ago.
Wildfire risk data is not just useful for buyers; it also enables homeowners to take steps to mitigate risk and protect their property. This first-of-its-kind data integration on Realtor.com® gives homebuyers and owners easy access to previously hard-to-find information about wildfires and property risk for free.
In addition, Realtor.com listings now include a new “Environmental Risk” section that features an overview of wildfire and flood risks. Wildfire risk information includes two separate ratings:
- Fire Factor from First Street Foundation is a simple risk rating on a scale of 1-10 based on the property’s cumulative risk of wildfire damage over 30 years. The score considers property-specific attributes such as exposure to embers; the extent and type of fuel sources, such as trees, grass and other vegetation; and the distance between a building and the nearest fuel sources.
- The USDA Forest Service Wildfire rating compares the risk by county compared to other U.S. counties.
Realtor.com says its wildfire risk data will also soon be added to rental properties.
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