If I was able to receive a definite answer from my employer about a real remote date, I would have purchased a house for under 100k in Montana months ago by now.
On the other hand, I think the large majority of people want to go back to the office (once it is safe to do so)
I don’t know what the exact numbers would be aggregated across the entire population, but from comparing surveys across my own office and several other large companies I think there are two large minority positions (want to WFH forever / want back in office) and a third slice of undecideds.
* 20% want to go back to the office
* 30% want to WFH forever
* 50% want the flexibility to WFH 2-3 days a week
Post-pademic, we've figured out and fixed a lot of the tech and culture issues years faster than we would have otherwise and I'm suddenly much more comfortable staying remote indefinitely.
I'd be curious to know if my own change of heart is unique.
Anecdotally, a significant number of my colleagues hope to be able to remote forever. Some are looking at finally realizing their dreams of buying a nice home; a third of the price as it'd cost in the city.
The western part of the state is where most of the picturesque landscape is, and there were a lot of expensive developments in the area and on the Idaho side of the border from us too.
Rents are still the same but with 1-2 months free deal (which translates to around a few hundred dollars per month down from pre-covid).
Artificially only in the sense that most people who would have been selling their house right now are cancelling their plans due to the pandemic, not some sort of organized conspiracy.