What Will Buyers Want in 2016? Smart Homes!

Buyers want smart homes? What's that? Don't worry, if you don't know the slightest about smart homes, you're not alone. Technology, like real estate trends, is constantly changing. Sometimes it can be hard to stay in the driver's seat.

Smart homes, or homes with built-in intelligence systems, are rapidly gaining in popularity, causing buyers to increasingly look for more high-tech home upgrades as technology advances.

Who's doing the driving?

The "Internet of Things," or "IoT," is the connectivity of everyday objects to the internet and one another, a phenomenon embraced and expected by the general public in all manner of applications. As wireless internet technology advances, and becomes easier to operate and more cost effective, smarter experiences can be provided in the home.

Crash course

There are an array of home technology options, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and Z-Wave, with various compatible home automation devices. However, technology compatibility issues abound, especially when a mix of wireless home technology solutions are used.

The goal in the not-so-distant future: compatibility. Major players in the smart home technology market are joining forces in support of an open wireless network standard that would allow interoperability among various products.

What types of smart devices will buyers be on the lookout for, according to real estate trends?

• Smart washers and dryers
  Energy efficient and able to communicate via WiFi to run at times when energy rates are lowest.

• Learning thermostats
  Able to learn your schedule and preferences with no programming, adjusting settings based on learned patterns and cutting energy use.

• Smart locks
  Bye-bye house key hunt. Synchronize your deadbolt lock to your smartphone or tablet and you'll never have to fumble at the door – or worry you left your home unprotected – again.

To view the original article, visit the Properties Online blog.

See also: 3 Forms of Tech That Are Changing the Real Estate Market