Strategies in printed advertisements focused on the Viennese Condominium Market

Since December 1st, 2012 the new Energy Performance Certificate Template-law 2012 is valid. This law was implemented to encourage customers to buy more energy efficient objects. As this new legal situation has great influence on daily business of real estate agents, it is seen to be important to observe the changes on the real estate market very carefully. This study focused on the Viennese Condominium Market. In a previous study more than 5000 Viennese condominium advertisements, listed in the IMMO Kurier were analyzed and worked out. In fact more than 75% of the listed advertisements in the IMMO Kurier included the requested heating parameter (Hoffmann, ERES 2013). But how does this new information influence the transparency of the real estate market?In which way does the Viennese Condominium Market become more transparent for customers?What are the benefits and what are the disadvantages?It was decided to repeat the investigations by comparing the results from November 17th, 2012 and December 22nd, 2012 with the results from November 16th, 2013 and December 21st, 2013.Several strategies of advertising condominiums on the Viennese real estate market can be identified:For offered Condominiums:The advertisement includes the district/address, information on prices, square meters and heating parameter.Summing up, the transparency of the real estate market is not guaranteed by forcing real estate agents to show the heating parameters in their advertisements, especially, if further information on price and square meters has not to be added.