Town Life Future Research Institute Reveals 34.4% of Vacant House Owners are Proactive 'Problem Solvers'

Survey Overview

The Town Life Future Research Institute (Town Life Inc.) analyzed 31,198 valid inquiries received by its land use matching service, "Town Life Land Utilization," between April 2024 and April 2026, and released findings regarding the purposes, desired utilization plans, and land ownership status of the applicants.

Key Findings

### 1. Industry Research: Most Vacant House Owners are 'Passive'

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "Survey on the Actual Conditions of Vacant House Owners," the most common reasons for leaving houses vacant are "needed as storage" (60.3%), "don't want to incur demolition costs" (46.9%), and "no use for the vacant land" (36.7%) (multiple answers allowed). While the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' "2023 Housing and Land Statistical Survey" reports that the number of vacant houses nationwide has hit a record high of 9 million (13.8% vacancy rate), most owners are not taking proactive action to utilize or sell them, indicating that a "cannot/will not move" structure among owners is behind the social increase in vacant houses.

### 2. Our Users: 65.6% for Utilization, 34.4% for Vacant House Resolution ─ Proactive Action-Takers

In contrast, an analysis of inquiry types from our users showed that "land utilization" was the purpose for 20,461 cases (65.6%), while "vacant house resolution" accounted for 10,737 cases (34.4%). Our users constitute a "moving owner" segment, distinct from the "passive layer" in industry research, given they have taken the initiative to make inquiries.

| Purpose of Inquiry | Cases | Share | | --- | --- | --- | | Land Utilization | 20,461 | 65.6% | | Vacant House Resolution | 10,737 | 34.4% |

### 3. Ownership Status: 62.6% 'Already Owned', 37.4% 'Scheduled to Inherit'

Ownership status of the target land was "already owned" (12,732 cases, 62.6%) and "scheduled to inherit" (7,609 cases, 37.4%). That about 40% of applicants are scheduled to inherit property indicates that life events before the occurrence of inheritance are the primary triggers for considering land utilization.

### 4. Utilization Plans: Detached Rentals, Parking Lots, Apartments, and Sales are Competitive

Top desired utilization plans include detached home rentals (55.7%), parking lots (55.7%), apartments/mansions/mixed-use rentals (55.2%), and sales (55.1%), indicating diverse needs. While 32.5% of applicants chose "sale plan" as a definitive option, 30.3% indicated they had "not yet decided."