I Want a Smart Home – Where Do I Begin?

Last May, Coldwell Banker released its official Smart Home Definition created in collaboration with CNET, the world’s largest and most trusted online source of consumer technology news and reviews.

The definition was created with input from some of the most knowledgeable smart home authorities at Coldwell Banker: our agents. Coldwell Banker real estate agents are on the front lines of the emerging smart home movement not only as real estate professionals, but also as users of the smart home products themselves!

We asked three of our savviest smart home agents for their advice on what steps newcomers can take as they begin to think about adding smart home products or technology to their home. Here is what they had to say:

Angel Piontek, Sales Associate with Coldwell Banker Elite in Fredericksburg, VA, is an avid smart home tech user herself, making her the perfect person to counsel clients on how to introduce smart home technology to their lives. Her tip? “Start with identifying aspects of your daily routine that you’d like to improve and choose your products based on that,” she said. “Technology has allowed us to interact with our homes like never before, but it can seem like a daunting task when finding a point of entry.”

Travis Gray, Sales Associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Annapolis, MD, suggests taking small steps when first adding smart home technology to your home: “Start simple and build out from there. Going overboard right away can be intimidating and overwhelming for some home owners. Focus on the technology that you will use on a weekly basis.”

Danny Hertzberg, Sales Associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Miami Beach, FL, suggests taking a look at some of your own pesky daily habits: “Pick something that will make your daily life more convenient. For example, if you often forget to turn off the lights on your way out, try installing Lutron lighting so you can hit one button on your smart phone and worry no more. If you dislike getting up from your cozy bed to change the heating or cooling temperature, then try Nest for your first step into smart home tech.”

Like any cool gadgets, beware…smart home technology can be addicting! A recent Coldwell Banker survey found that seventy percent of people with smart home technology said that buying their first smart home product made them more likely to buy another one. However, Coldwell Banker agents all agree: do your research and start small. Once you adapt to and become comfortable with one smart home element, you can broaden your horizons and integrate other components of your home.

Source: Coldwell Banker Blue Matter / Athena Snow