What’s the next big home feature buyers want?

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Nov. 24, 2014 – Homeowners are showing a bigger appetite for smart home technology. Nearly half of consumers – 46 percent – say it's important their current home or the next home they purchase have smart home technology, according to a survey of nearly 2,500 consumers, conducted by ERA Real Estate and HGTV.

Survey respondents had recently participated in an HGTV national focus group on smart home technology.

Homeowners and buyers say they see the value in smart home technology for comfort, safety and cost savings, and 51 percent surveyed say they would consider installing smart home technology in their home to make their home more marketable to future home buyers.

The younger segment of the millennial generation is the most likely age group to spend money on smart home technology – 10 times more likely than the percentage of generation X members who say they'd consider adding smart home technology to their homes, the survey reported.

"While still a growing trend, smart home enhancements have the potential to increase savings, safety, and resale value," says Charlie Young, president and CEO of ERA Real Estate. "As we have seen through this survey and our one-on-one interactions with buyers and sellers, a smart home is one that is well positioned for the future and aligns with a growing reliance on mobile technology."

Indeed, 70 percent of millennials say it's important that smart home technology integrate with their smartphone.

While smart home technology has often been thought to be driven by mainly security, survey researchers did not find security as the main motivation for adding smart home technology.

Instead, homeowners say they're using or wanting smart home technology mainly because of the money-saving potential, such as through automated climate control, energy management, remote home monitoring and lighting control systems.

What's more, consumers of all generations said they'd automate their thermostats before their lighting or security systems, and one in 10 Americans say they'd automate their TV over their lighting or security systems.

Source: ERA Real Estate