{"id":26945,"date":"2025-12-22T15:15:40","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T23:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roryc.ca\/blog\/?p=26945"},"modified":"2025-12-21T17:54:34","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T01:54:34","slug":"smart-tech-features-upgrades-that-buyers-want-most-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roryc.ca\/blog\/2025\/12\/smart-tech-features-upgrades-that-buyers-want-most-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Smart Tech Features &#038; Upgrades That Buyers Want Most in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Smart home upgrades are a great investment if you want to make your life easier and more seamless, but they can also do wonders for your property value. However, there are some tech features buyers want\u2014and a few they\u2019d be happier without.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We checked in with a few real estate pros to find out which ones are worth installing, especially if you\u2019re hoping to increase your home\u2019s worth in 2026.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Home Tech Feature Buyers are Looking For in 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Above all else, our experts agree that smart lighting is the most in-demand home tech feature at the moment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cMore and more buyers ask whether the home&#8217;s lighting is smart device-ready and compatible,\u201d says real estate agent Jules Garcia, who admits he\u2019s also caved to this trend. \u201cIt&#8217;s great to walk into my home, simply say, \u2018evening light mode,\u2019 and specific lights in my home auto-adjust to provide a lighting atmosphere that&#8217;s just right.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fellow real estate agent Aaron Tetzlaff agrees.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cHaving adjustable, programmable smart lighting often gets overlooked, but it enhances the overall feel and quality of your home,&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>3 Other Home Tech Features Most Homes Should Have<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cloud-Connected Security Devices<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beyond smart lighting, smart security systems are another home tech feature that\u2019s highly in demand.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThese security systems allow buyers and owners to control their security with live video and audio, and even speak with delivery people remotely,\u201d Garcia says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Remote Locking Options<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Much like smart security systems, Tetzlaff says remote locking and unlocking devices are appreciated\u2014especially on second homes or investment properties.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThey&#8217;re a bit bulky right now, but they can save you or your renters in a pinch if you get locked out of the house,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">These features are satellite-operated and tend to require a subscription, but Tetzlaff points out that the cost for a year\u2019s subscription is still likely to be less than the call-out fee for a locksmith during the high season.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In-Home Saunas<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Miami-based real estate agent Chris Wands says he\u2019s seen a huge rise in demand for in-home infrared saunas and smart steam rooms.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cHealth tech used to be a luxury add-on, but now it\u2019s a core part of the home search,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In fact, Wands predicts that the coming year will only bring an increase of home wellness technology.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201c2026 is shaping up to be the year buyers want a fully tech-enabled sanctuary\u2014one that protects them, restores them, and quietly optimizes their lives in the background,&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>5 Home Tech Features That are Totally Overrated<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Smart Refrigerators<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As great as smart refrigerators might sound on paper, the reality never really lived up to the vision, says Garcia.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThe idea of a fridge that auto-tracks your food and lets you know when you&#8217;re out is cool, but it doesn&#8217;t work in practice for most,&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wands agrees, and it mostly comes down to these appliances\u2019 inability to integrate well with the rest of the home\u2019s system.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cIf the fridge tech can\u2019t evolve with the rest of the space, it becomes more of a hassle than a selling point,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Screens in Every Room<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">While in-home smart assistants have become ubiquitous, Garcia says he warns against built-in screens and smart tablets that are ported into every room.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThese wall-built-in units, even just a few years old, are already unusable due to the speed of tech innovation and changes in device dimensions,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Built-In Speakers<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Much like the built-in screens, Garcia has noticed that many buyers are just as unimpressed by built-in speaker systems.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cSome home sellers push the listing agents to factor these into the listing valuation, and most buyers are unimpressed,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In fact, Garcia has noticed that the vast majority of buyers end up removing this feature once they move in.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Smart Theaters and Media Rooms<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Unless you\u2019re a true movie lover, Garcia says you really don\u2019t need to install a smart theater or a dedicated media room.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cEven in ultra-luxury homes with a surplus of rooms, most purchasers are looking for spaces for all friends and family to get together and interact,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Needlessly Complicated Systems<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you\u2019ve installed a full home smart system that has too many bells and whistles, Tetzlaff warns you might put off potential buyers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cIf sellers are looking to put in home tech, keep it simple and useful,\u201d he says. \u201cIf it has multiple menu panels on a touch screen, I\u2019d stay away from it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thespruce.com\/2026-popular-home-tech-feature-11862697\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Real Estate Agents Agree : This is The Home Tech Feature Buyers Want Most in 2026<\/a> by Ashley Chalmers | the Spruce<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Smart home upgrades are a great investment if you want to make your life easier and more seamless, but they can also do wonders for your property value. However, there &hellip; [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.roryc.ca\/blog\/2025\/12\/smart-tech-features-upgrades-that-buyers-want-most-in-2026\/\">read more<\/a>]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-home-lifestyle","category-real-estate"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Smart Tech Features &amp; Upgrades That Buyers Want Most in 2026 &#8226; Rory C Real Estate | Oakwyn Realty<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.roryc.ca\/blog\/2025\/12\/smart-tech-features-upgrades-that-buyers-want-most-in-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Smart Tech Features &amp; Upgrades That Buyers Want Most in 2026 &#8226; Rory C Real Estate | Oakwyn Realty\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Smart home upgrades are a great investment if you want to make your life easier and more seamless, but they can also do wonders for your property value. 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