Smart Home Tech: Specs That Matter

With the sophistication of a smart home comes a need to easily manage all this technology. Home automation systems deliver that, and they can grow into a fully integrated solution for electronics, appliances, doors, locks, lights, and the security system.

Panels in the home — or apps for the TV, smartphone, or tablet — let the home owner control their devices, whether they dim the lights, retrieve a grocery list from an intelligent refrigerator, or set the air conditioning to come on a comfortable half an hour before arriving.

Making an existing home smart now means a retrofit of cherry-picked tools and technologies to deliver a comparable experience. It’s a piecemeal, patchwork solution, adding only what’s wanted. Explore the products highlighted in this month’s product section and you’ll start to recognize the range of products and solutions that can be combined for a “smarter” home.

This typically starts with the purchase of one of the emerging class of smart products and appliances: washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, thermostats, and heating and cooling systems. A smart thermostat, for example, can learn a family’s habits and preferences to make a room a comfort zone only when it needs to be. Smart appliances set themselves to operate during off-peak hours when demand and costs for power are less expensive.

Also, big-screen flat-panel TVs now make the home theater a practical consideration for all home owners. As component prices fall, people will want their audio, video, and even photos available wherever they are, inside or out. A home entertainment network, piggy-backing on ubiquitous Internet access to content via Wi-Fi, can enhance appeal.

All these options, which are available now, could impact your career in how they shape the expectations of clients. Sellers in a competitive market need an explanation of how their investment in a smarter, more efficient heating system or water heater will make the home more attractive and a better investment. Buyers can be sold on that efficiency, the practical benefits of smart appliances, and the convenience of a home entertainment network or automation system already in place. Those who value these features will prefer to work with a real estate professional who understands such priorities.

Today these converging technologies may resonate more in conversations about high-end or luxury listings, but smart and green features alike are gauges by which most homes will eventually be judged. Smarten up on technology for the home, start thinking green, and you’ll be ready with answers for the evolving needs of buyers and sellers.