Gas prices keep rising and more and more home buyers are looking to cut costs. Realtors are looking to take advantage of this by pushing the great economic possibilities of their homes. Many agents are taking their clients around by bike, showing them the ease, fun, and tranquility that comes with this line of travel.

Summer home sales were down almost 15% from the prior year and agents are trying to find anyway to generate new business. A survey given in June by Coldwell Banker, and it shows that almost 95% of Realtors feel the rising gas prices are important to their clients.

Kirsten Kaufman, a Realtor in Oregon, is now first in line to give a bike tour. She says that, "It's becoming more common to see families committing to driving less,...I think it's a part of the market that will continue to grow as gas gets more expensive." One of her current clients, Emily Gardner, who bikes to work everyday, remarks that it is normal for someone to bike around to see houses with a Realtor, "For people who want to drive less, it just makes sense that they'd be looking for different things in a neighborhood,".

According to Realtor opinion and surveys given, findings show that buyers are trying to cut on gas and commute time by moving to places near urban centers, subways, train, and bus stops. Biking can fit in well with that, or at least in their leisure time; biking to visit neighbors, or your kids being able to bike to school instead of a car pool, etc. Matt Kolb, is a bike agent and owner of Pedal to Property, in CO. He says that, "Living out in the suburbs just isn't a big deal anymore,...People want to live, work and go to school within a six blocks radius — that's changing the way they look at property." Recently a 40 state survey was released by Bikes Belong. Results showed that over 1/3 of stores are selling more bikes and 95% of the reasons given for buying a bike was due to saving on transportation.

Of course, while there are those quick to jump on the bike, Erick Rojas, a Chicago Realtor, says it is not for everyone. "This is a hard job to do on a bike,...You have to get the right people, and the day has to be nice — you have to be looking at property in the same couple mile location." Also, some Realtors feel this method is too casual. Charles Turner, a Realtor in OR, says that "Anything client-involved should exclude a bicycle,...If you're meeting someone on location, you're not exactly business-presentable when you show up dripping with sweat."