23 Jun Smart Homes
The world is constantly evolving. Medicine, music, automobiles, and everything else under the sun has changed as the needs and wants of the population around it has changed. With every new generation, we find new solutions to age-old problems, answers to questions we didn’t even know we had, and fixes for things that haven’t broken yet but one day will. In real estate, we’ve seen the numerous phases of housing evolution from caves and tents, to condominiums and 3D printed town homes. Now, as other industries see massive technological advances, consumers desire these modern innovations in the comfort of their own homes, making everyday living convenient and automating formerly tedious manual tasks. Consumers are smart and they want their phones, cars, and homes to be smart too.
Smart technology “allows sensors, databases, and wireless access to collaboratively sense, adapt, and provide for users within the environment.” These devices allow users to control, monitor, and automate their technology from anywhere with just the click of a button. Security systems that allow you to view your home while you’re out and about, automated lighting that can be controlled from your phone, and even your electronic garage door opener are a few examples of smart home technology. More and more consumers are expressing interest in smart home technology and the results of the Coldwell Banker Real Estate Smart Home Marketplace Survey found that almost half of all Americans either owned smart home technology or planned to invest in it in 2016 and this trend is expected to continue.
Smart home technology can even help buyers and sellers in the housing market. More than half of homeowners felt that installing smart devices in their homes would help it sell faster on the market and some were even willing to pay a few thousand dollars more to purchase the technology to get their home sold. The types of smart home technology primarily attracting buyers are security and temperature features. These smart systems allow users to answer and unlock doors from their phone, receive real time video when someone leaves or enters their home, and change light and temperature settings throughout the day.
As developers find new ways to appeal to the growing homeowner market, the installation of smart home technology is showing itself to be a major draw. Buyers and sellers alike are willing to invest more into their homes when these technological features are included. And as these smart devices become more common place, it’s only a matter of time before these amenities will be expected, not merely desired.
