I have a few go-to dinner party questions I often ask, particularly at times when the conversation is waning. You know what I am referring to, those times of awkward silence. One of these conversation starters I like to toss out is, is Real Estate historically the Best Investment?

These days, particularly in Northern VA, most believe to know the real estate market, at least in their neighborhood. There usually is a day traders and maybe a financial planner in the group that give their expert opinion. This usually leads to interesting opinions and good debate.

Take this question to a larger group of people, and you get the results of an official poll!Every year, Gallup surveys Americans to determine their choice for the best long-term investment. Respondents are given a choice between real estate, stocks/mutual funds, gold, savings accounts/CDs, or bonds.

For the fifth year in a row, real estate has come out on top as the best long-term investment!

This year’s results showed that 34% of Americans chose real estate, followed by stocks at 26%. The full results are shown in the chart below.

The study makes it a point to draw attention to the contrast in the sentiment over the last five years compared to that of 2011-2012, when gold took the top slot with 34% of the votes. Real estate and stocks took second and third place, respectively, while still in recovery from the Great Recession.

Bottom Line

As the real estate market has recovered, so has the belief of the American people in the stability of housing as a long-term investment.  Call Joey, an exceptional real estate agent and REALTOR with RE/MAX Preferred Properties, for selling or buying a home in Northern VA. Your Home My Passion. Find the original article on my Keeping Current Matters blog here,  Real Estate Tops Best Investment Poll for 5th Year Running