Since then, the company has released a smart home definition with technology and review website CNET, a smart home certification course with CEDIA and a staging kit that features products from Nest, August, and Lutron.
In addition to these offerings, Coldwell Banker has been busy researching what’s next in the smart home technology space.
According to its 2017 Smart Home Marketplace Survey, Americans are raving over voice control — thanks to accessible products, such as Amazon’s Echo and Google Assistant.
As of November, 72 percent of Americans who own smart home products controlled remotely by smartphone, tablet or otherwise, want products with voice control capabilities. Although 72 percent of Americans want voice control, only 48 percent currently have voice control products.
So, what exactly do consumers want to control with these tools? Entertainment.
Fifty-seven percent of Americans who currently use voice control use it in conjunction with smart entertainment products, such as smart TVs. Smart lighting (33 percent), smart security (33 percent), shopping (33 percent) and smart temperature (30 percent) rounded out the top five uses.
For those who want voice control products, but don’t have it, 43 percent want to use it to control smart entertainment as well. Smart lighting (42 percent), smart temperature (41 percent), smart security (36 percent) and smart appliances (19 percent) were the top needs for that demographic.
Survey respondents said they believed voice control would enhance their day-to-day home experience through hands-free control, user-friendliness compared to other options and the flexibility in location — all of which make this technology the perfect tool for parents.
A whopping 81 percent of American parents with smart home products with voice control, and an equally impressive 64 percent already use voice control tools.
“We’re not surprised that so many Americans want to be able to use their voice to control smart home products because it makes for a much more intuitive user experience,” said Coldwell Banker chief marketing officer Sean Blankenship in a statement. “As the smart home leader in real estate, Coldwell Banker is at the forefront of smart home trends and we’re hearing directly from our agents that their clients are demanding voice control to make their smart home experience more seamless.”
The survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Coldwell Banker Real Estate and Vivint Smart Home. The survey dates were open from November 14 through 16 and 18 through 22 in 2016. Among the 4,108 U.S. adults who participated, 923 had a smart home product.