Will Smart Homes Soon Be the Norm?

A survey finds 28 percent of Americans currently have smart home technology.

A smart home in Bella Vista | TREND image via Redfin

A smart home in South Philadelphia | TREND image via Redfin

We may not be at The Jetsons level yet, but it definitely seems like we’re headed in that direction. According to a survey conducted by Coldwell Banker Real Estate and CNET, the consumer technology news and reviews website, 28 percent of Americans own a smart home device. The report says the trend will only grow as millennials, half of whom are adopting this technology already, start to become homeowners.

Moreover, of the 4,000-some people who responded to the survey, 91 percent of those who currently use smart home technology (i.e. things like remote-access security, smart locks, connected lighting and thermostats, and energy efficiency) said they would recommend it to others; while 81 percent said they would buy a home with smart home technology already installed.

And for those of you who think all this futuristic mumbo jumbo is just that, have we got news for you: it can favor both your wallet and time. Additional survey findings revealed 45 percent of respondents said that, on average, having it saved them $1,100/year; 87 percent said it made their lives easier; and 57 percent said it afforded them “an average of almost 30 minutes per day.” Furthermore,  72 percent of people claimed to have “peace of mind” when it came to their home security.

“Smart home technology is catching on because it is literally changing the way we live in our homes,” says Coldwell Banker Chief Marketing Officer Sean Blankenship in a press release. “Not only is it shifting the financial perception of the home, but it’s also transforming our emotional connection to our homes. We have entered a transformative era. We believe that in three to five years, home buyers will expect smart home technology — it will become the new norm.”