Both consumers and real estate professionals show interest in smart home tech
By Jesse Darland
CTW Features
The National Association of Realtors released a Smart Homes and Realtors report, which examined the growing array of smart home devices and their impact on the real estate market.
The report, which surveyed real estate agents across the country, found that only 15 percent of agents receive questions from their clients about smart homes. However, 42 percent of the agents surveyed stated an interest in attaining some type of smart home certification, which may indicated a growing confidence on the part of real estate professionals that smart home technologies will play an increasing role in the market.
“More homeowners are adopting smart-home technology and that will likely impact buyers’ purchase decisions in the future. While consumer interest in this trend is still developing, realtors are becoming well-versed in successfully marketing smart homes and their features, such as devices and appliances,” says William E. Brown, an agent from Alamo, California, and president of the National Association of Realtors.
When it comes to smart home devices, 37 percent of the agents surveyed said that their clients found smart locks to be important. Twenty-nine percent reported hearing a preference for smart lights, and 26 percent smart thermostats.
Independent of specific gadgets, the survey also asked about perceived benefits of smart home devices on the part of prospective buyers. Agents reported that 80 percent believed that added home security is an important feature. About half stated that increased privacy was important to their clients, 38 percent state comfort, and 25 percent said that both energy and costs savings were important.
© CTW Features
