Except you don't own anything in the game. You've purchased a license that allows you to play the game. Everything within it is owned by SE.
It would be no different if demolition was active. We had all those empty houses just sitting there in the past when it was just as much as they currently are.
The problem is it's a limited resource system. That inflates demand.
- Players who may not want a house right now but fear not being able to get one in the future if they want one. They buy now if they can so they won't have to worry about trying to get one then.
- Players who like the presumed prestige of owning something not every player can get.
- Those who see a profit potential by gaining something they can resell to others who want it (regardless of what ToS might say about such activity).
The empty houses won't disappear just because demolition is enabled. You're far more likely to see some nicely decorated houses disappear than the empty ones that were purchased for other reasons.
