Smart Homes Need Smart Agents

Since the introduction of the smart phone in 2007, the Smart Home Landscape has been changing at an almost exponential pace.  Home automation systems have become increasingly more sophisticated, and are quickly adding to the range of technologies available for the homeowner. 

This marketplace continues to offer new gadgets and systems in a relentless manner—far outpacing consumers’ ability to evaluate and make sense of what is in the best interests of their family and lifestyle.

These new technologies are now being woven into the fabric of home ownership.  Yet the information available to guide consumers  is little more than marketing hype. 

What’s missing is a practical framework within which informed evaluations and sound choices can be made.  As a result, more and more consumers are looking to real estate agents for context and advice. 

Smart agents are trying to prepare for this sea change.  But how  are we supposed to navigate in this new environment?   All too often, we are introduced to smart homes through the lens of the latest gadget, perhaps a smart lock, or doorbell, or thermostat.

I call this the product-centric approach, where the focus is on a specific gadget.  Under this approach, agents are on the receiving end of the latest marketing campaign, and their body of information available tends to be no more than a collection of press releases, advertising, and manufacturer’s hype.

There is a better way: the consumer-centric approach, a process of thinking about smart home products relative to how families really live, play and age.  The gadgets are not the end result—contented consumers are! 

Smart home products will always be there, available as needed.  For the homebuyer, the goal must be a method of thinking about their own specific needs, grounded in a process that creates a roadmap for them to assess how they live, entertain and plan for the future—and how specific smart home features can support these goals. A handful of gadgets does not equal a “smart home.”

The Real Estate Agent’s Role

Key for real estate agents are two factors.  First, there must be an awakening—a greater awareness on the part of the agent regarding the technologies that are shaping the choices available.  We must be mindful of how they systemically influence the way people live in their homes now, and plan for their domestic future.

Many decades ago, Stanford computer scientist Roy Amara stated, “We tend to overhype changes in the short term, and yet vastly underrate the changes in the long term.”  When new gadgets are introduced, there is the short term hype and excitement, without a more focused understanding of the long term. Agents must continually seek opportunities to help their clients see the world of smart home technologies clearly and thoughtfully.

Second is what I call “knowledge partnerships.”  In order to understand the context and gain the insights needed to navigate this brave, new world, agents must form supportive personal relationships with our clients—upon which a successful real estate practice is founded.  

So too with the world of smart home technologies. We must seek out relationships with experts and thought leaders who can add significant value to the relationships we have with our own clients—the greatest of which is the incredible leverage that comes from being informed, and prepared.  

In my own practice, I have made a deliberate choice to bring to my clients the context, support, and framework that will help them make better decisions—in the Smart Home arena, and in others as well. 

Over the past two years I have partnered with a prominent thought leader in the field of Smart Homes, a former architectural psychologist at Cal Berkeley who studied differences in how people live in spaces.  Dr. George McKechnie and I have labored to develop protocols and planners that help my clients navigate the smart home choices involved in buying and selling real estate today. 

Introducing The Smart Home Gallery.  In the next series, we will take an in depth look at how this structured consumer centric  approach can bring immense value to your clients and to your personal real estate practice. 

#smarthomethoughtleader #smarthomes #smarthomesecurity #ageinginplace #smartenergy #passivehouse #smarthomegallery #smarthomeplanner #theheinrichteam #energyrecoverysystem #carbonfreehomes #netzeroenergy #inductioncooking #thermalbridging