The homebuying market may be lagging compared to semi-recent history, but homes that have technology systems in place seem to have an edge among those that are buying. According to a recent Redfin report, out of the top five home features house hunters are looking for, four pertain to the specialized technologies that integrators are currently dealing in, with security, air and water filtration, automation, back-up power and entertainment making the list of highly sought-after home features.
Redfin report focuses on top three most important housing amenities
This report is based on a survey conducted by Ipsos in May 2026, fielded to 4,000 U.S. residents. This report focuses on the roughly 1,000 respondents who are planning to move within the next 12 months.
The report focuses on the question: When thinking about the next home you live in, what are the top 3 most important housing amenities you’re looking for? Respondents could select 3 from 22 options.
36% of homebuyers looking for ‘high-end’ water and air filtration
Security systems pulled the top spot at being the most sought-after amenity with 38% of respondents putting it in their top three. Closing right behind it at 36%, however, were high-end air and water filtration systems, though, statistically, they are both equally weighted in this report (meaning they both rank as the number one most sought after feature, according to Redfin).
In fact, clean homes and security systems outrank every other feature by a longshot. Views come in with one-quarter (25%) of prospective buyers saying they’re a top priority, followed by smart-home technology/automation (20%).
Backup power generation–such as solar panels or generators–round out the top five, with 19% of house hunters ranking it as a top-three priority among 22 housing amenities.
If you take a peak right below that, however, a house with a good layout for entertaining comes in at 17% alongside a covered outdoor patio, two areas of a home integrators are well equipped to, well, equip.
Wildfire smoke puts spotlight on air quality in new homes
Unsurprisingly—and unfortunately—a big reason as to why homebuyers are eyeballing better filtration systems is due to the prevalent wildfires across the US. It’s not just relegated to the Western U.S. anymore, either. As of this year, many of the biggest homebuying markets for integrators are suffering from wildfire smoke.
Smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires blanketed much of the eastern half of the U.S. last week, while more than 100 million people across eighteen states and Washington, D.C. were under air quality alerts as of July 17. Parts of Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan recording the worst air quality in the nation. New York and much of New England are also experiencing unhealthy air.
“As wildfire smoke becomes more common, filtered indoor air is becoming a must-have rather than a nice-to-have,” said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. “Homebuyers are already looking for homes that can protect their families during smoke events. And I expect that in the near future, buyers searching for single-family homes will also be looking for larger homes with versatile indoor space, where they can entertain themselves when smoke forces them inside. House hunters looking for condos may prioritize indoor amenity spaces, like gyms or event rooms.”
Younger generations more interested in future-forward tech
Younger generations in general—the likes of whom will begin to increasingly make up the bulk of homebuyers—are more focused on high-tech upgrades that can offer resiliency and protection in the wake of increasingly uncertain environmental and economic conditions.
Nearly two in five (37%) millennial house hunters say a clean home, i.e. one with water or air filtration systems, is a top-three priority for their next home, putting it at number one (tied with security systems). Backup power generation (20%) and climate-resilient upgrades (15%) are also in the top 10 for millennials.
An even higher share of Gen Zers, 40%, rank clean homes as a top priority. It’s topped only by security systems (42%).
Clean homes are also important for Gen Xers, with 25% saying it’s a top priority, ranking after security systems (32%).
For baby boomers, views are at the top of the list (47% rank them as a top priority)–but clean homes do come in third (35%), after security systems (40%).
Why integrators should take note
One trend CE Pro has been keeping its eye on has been that of increasing natural disasters and their subsequent fallout for integrators and their clients. For years, wildfires have consistently been making headlines due to the damage and smoke put out by these catastrophes, and the American public have become increasingly aware of the dangers that the smoke alone can pose.
Considering that wildfire smoke has become an annual fixture across much of the U.S., it is likely that demand for home air filtration systems will only continue to rise as time goes on, giving integrators offering these types of solutions an opportunity to further upsell systems.
Additionally, the fact that of the top 10 most sought-after housing amenities, seven consist of solutions that integrators can provide today continues the trend of home technology being the more valued amenity among homebuyers.
