Amazon Is Coming to Town: Sequential Information Revelation in the Housing Market
53 Pages Posted: 4 Feb 2021 Last revised: 5 Apr 2022
Date Written: April 4, 2022
Abstract
This study uses Amazon's progressive revelation of its new headquarters locations in Virginia and New York to demonstrate that the housing market fully incorporates information about future demand well before disclosure. Spatial difference-in-differences analysis shows that housing prices near the Virginia headquarters exhibit 4.9% premia before Amazon's headquarters decision but no additional increase upon decision. Price premia for New York reach 17.5% before the decision but disappear once Amazon cancels the headquarters. Other finalist cities exhibit no price premia, precluding the possibility of speculation. Overall, this study suggests that the housing market can quickly incorporate private information about future demand shocks.
Keywords: Information revelation; Private information; Difference-in-differences; Office locations; Housing prices
JEL Classification: G14, R21
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation