Houses are a highly sought-after and rare commodity in Final Fantasy XIV. Real-money traders take advantage of this by buying up houses on various servers and selling them for real money to players. Up to $900 is demanded per house.
This is the housing situation: Private and guild houses are a luxury in FFXIV, making it very difficult for many to access them. The number of plots available for construction is limited per server and not available to all players.
Although the FFXIV team continually increases the amount by introducing new areas, it is still not enough for all players on a server. Additionally, on some servers, entire areas are monopolized by a guild or even a single person because they were quick enough to purchase the houses before anyone else.
Consequently, the value of such a plot is extremely high, and it has often happened in the past that players bought individual houses to resell them at higher prices. Advertising the resale of properties is prohibited in public FFXIV chats, which is why sellers seek their customers on other platforms.
They not only demand in-game currency Gil for the properties but also real money, and their prices are steep.
Plots for up to $900
This is being sold: The sale of gold, accounts, or boosting services for real money in MMORPGs is not a new phenomenon; in FFXIV, the sale of houses is also included. Similarly to gold sellers, a small industry has formed around this.
Real Money Trading, that is, the sale of in-game items for real money, is prohibited in FFXIV as well as in most other MMOs and is punished with account bans. However, the risk is worth it for the sellers. Dozens of houses can therefore be found in trading forums that are offered for real money.
The properties and houses are sold for amounts ranging from $100 for a small house to $900 for large estates. This is a higher price than what is currently asked for PS5 consoles on eBay. Most offers there are currently fluctuating between $600 and $800.
The process is simple: the seller is contacted through the RMT forum, provides proof of ownership of the house, and receives the money. The buyer is then invited into the seller’s Free Company and made the owner.
According to forum entries, the plots are sold by the dozens there. Buyers post in the threads with reviews and comments on the service provided. There is even a money-back guarantee in case a buyer gets banned.
But not only houses are sold; there are also “sniping services.” This means that players willing to pay can hire someone to stand in front of the desired house and wait until it is available for sale.
The release of unoccupied plots for sale happens randomly within a certain timeframe and cannot be predicted, which is why players often have to camp in front of their desired plots for days. Because not everyone can afford to monitor a plot 24/7, these “snipers” offer their services for payment.
What has changed: Over time, the FFXIV team has implemented increasing restrictions to improve the housing situation. For several years, the ownership of multiple private houses per account per world has no longer been allowed, and after the release of a plot, it takes an indefinite amount of time until it becomes available for purchase to prevent camping. With Endwalker, another obstacle has come that further complicates the sale of houses.
Since the release of Endwalker, moves to free houses are no longer possible. This means that players who own a small house and want to move to a larger one must wait for the new house to be released for everyone.
Previously, homeowners could move into any available free house without restriction, regardless of whether they were for sale or not. An RMT could therefore release a house for their customer, who could move in immediately. This is no longer possible.
However, there are still loopholes that RMTs exploit to sell houses for a lot of money. According to forum comments, despite the new rules, multiple plots have already been sold since the release of Endwalker.
Is a solution coming?
What will also change: With Patch 6.1, the new housing area Imperium in Ishgard will be available in FFXIV. Players have worked together for months to build it. But with the area come new rules for purchasing plots.
On the one hand, plots in Ishgard cannot be directly purchased anymore but will be randomly allocated through a lottery. On the other hand, it will no longer be possible to grant the highest rank to completely new members of Free Companies. This should at least complicate the current practice of house sales.
These measures seem to be causing concern among RMTs in the forums. In many posts, sellers warn that Patch 6.1 will complicate the property trade significantly. They therefore advise to hurry to sell their already purchased houses.
Another feature is to come that could either completely solve the housing problem or at least improve it.
What we know about the Island Paradise: The new feature was announced for the release of the Endwalker expansion, but was later postponed. Currently, there is no exact release date, but it is expected to appear during the 6.x patches of Endwalker.
Players will be able to take care of animals and grow plants there. According to Yoshida, it is a “blank slate” that players can design according to their wishes. This includes buildings that, according to Yoshida, can be placed on the island. The island will also be expanded over time and will have more content added.
And while it is still unclear how similar the features of the Island Paradise will be to the actual housing of FFXIV, it sounds like a kind of private housing that will be available to all players.
Depending on how much the paradise will actually offer players, it could be a solution to the housing problem in FFXIV.
Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker gives you a private island like in Animal Crossing
