TL;DR
Zillow’s annual 2027 home trends report identifies seven feature groups appearing more often in for-sale listings, including AI-powered systems, analog rooms, wellness spaces and catios. The figures measure changes in listing mentions, not buyer surveys, sales results or proof that adding a feature will raise a home’s value.
Zillow’s annual 2027 home trends report says for-sale listings are increasingly mentioning features such as AI-powered systems, dedicated work and hobby spaces, accessibility features and catios. The report tracks changes in listing language from the previous year; it does not establish how many buyers want each feature or whether any one upgrade will increase a home’s sale price.
Get furniture and decor delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
The report points to a mix of connected technology and spaces designed for less screen time. AI mentions rose 119%, the largest year-over-year increase cited in the report, while app-controlled home systems rose 34%. At the same time, listings mentioning libraries and music rooms—examples of analog or tech-free spaces—were 34% more common than a year earlier.
Listing descriptions also shifted toward what Zillow characterizes as more polished interiors. Mentions of “elevated” rose 71%, while “cozy” fell 22%, “eclectic” fell 19% and “boho” fell 13%. Some specific finishes and exterior treatments gained ground: color-drenched rooms rose 84%, painted brick exteriors 27% and board-and-batten siding 24%.
Other trends were practical or lifestyle-focused. Whole-home battery mentions increased 43%, fresh-air ventilation systems 52%, and recirculating hot-water systems also 52%. Home offices rose 42%, media rooms 37% and flex spaces 35%, while chef’s kitchen and gourmet kitchen mentions fell 21% and 15%, respectively.
What buyers could want in 2027 Seven trends in Zillow listings
Zillow tracked year-over-year changes in words used in for-sale listings. The trends span technology, design, practical systems and spaces for daily life.
Seven groups in the report
The trends cover connected systems as well as spaces shaped around household needs.
Quiet tech and analog rooms
AI and app-controlled systems appear alongside libraries and music rooms.
Elevated interiors
Listings increasingly mention polished interiors, color-drenched rooms and painted brick.
Safety and efficiency
Battery backup, ventilation, filtration and recirculating hot water feature in the trend list.
Flexible household spaces
Home offices, flex spaces and aging-in-place features address changing needs.
Wellness and hobbies
Spa-inspired bathrooms, cold plunge pools and hobby rooms support personal routines.
Catios
Dedicated outdoor spaces for cats are among the features Zillow tracks.
What changed in listing language
Examples show gains across several feature types, while some style terms and kitchen descriptions declined.
| Listing mention | Year-over-year change |
|---|---|
| App-controlled home systems | Up 34% |
| Libraries and music rooms | Up 34% |
| Whole-home batteries | Up 43% |
| Fresh-air ventilation | Up 52% |
| “Cozy” | Down 22% |
| Chef’s kitchen | Down 21% |
How to use the findings
Treat listing trends as prompts for practical questions, not a renovation recipe.
During a viewing, ask how batteries and ventilation work and whether filtration systems are maintained.
Consider whether a flex room or wellness feature meets your needs and suits the property.
Sellers and renovators should factor in budget, local market conditions and personal use.
Listing Trends Span Daily Life
The figures offer sellers and people planning renovations a snapshot of the features increasingly highlighted in listings, from backup power and indoor air systems to rooms that can serve changing household needs. They may also help buyers identify features they want to ask about during a viewing. Listing visibility is not the same as proven buyer demand, however, and the report does not show that a particular feature will help a home sell faster or command a higher price.
The breadth of the changes is notable: the list combines technology, design choices, multigenerational living, wellness and pet accommodations. That range suggests there is no single look or upgrade that the report identifies as a universal priority. A feature’s usefulness will depend on a household, the property and the cost of installing or maintaining it.
Products Worth Considering
iRobot Roomba Plus 405 (G181) 2-in-1 Vacuum and Mop Robot with AutoWash Dock
eufy E25 Robot Vacuum and Mop
eufy C28 Robot Vacuum and Mop with 15,000 Pa Suction
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How Zillow Measures the Trends
Zillow’s report examines terms appearing in for-sale listing descriptions and compares their frequency with the previous year. The percentages therefore describe changes in mentions, rather than the share of homes with a feature, changes in completed sales, or results from a survey asking buyers what they prefer. The report gives percentage changes for each trend, but those numbers should be read within that measure.
The seven trend groups cover quiet technology and analog spaces; elevated interiors; safety and efficiency; flex spaces; aging in place; wellness and hobby rooms; and catios. Some of the reported gains involve less visible systems. Mentions of air filtration rose 25%, water filtration 22%, and radon mitigation 18%. Zillow also reported fewer listing references to “sustainable” and “green,” each down 26%, even as specific efficiency and safety systems appeared more often.
“Mentions of AI are up 119%, the largest year-over-year jump in this year’s data.”
— Zillow’s 2027 home trends report
What Listing Mentions Cannot Show
The report does not establish whether the change in listing language reflects a corresponding change in what buyers are actively seeking, whether more homes actually include the features, or whether those features affect prices or time on the market. It also does not provide, in the material reported here, the total number of listings behind each percentage or a breakdown by region and price range. The figures describe year-over-year movement, but the comparison basis beyond that is not specified here.
It remains unclear how much of the change comes from homeowners adding features, sellers choosing to advertise existing ones, or shifts in the wording agents use. Buyers and sellers should treat the list as a view of listing trends rather than a guarantee about resale value or a renovation checklist.
How Buyers Can Use the Report
For buyers, the reported trends can serve as prompts for questions about a property: how a backup battery works, whether ventilation or filtration systems have been maintained, and whether a flex room can meet household needs. For sellers and renovators, the figures may help identify features appearing more often in listings, but decisions should still reflect budget, local market conditions and personal use.
Zillow’s report tracks listing descriptions, so future annual editions may show whether these patterns continue. Until then, the current findings do not show which features will retain their popularity or deliver a financial return in 2027.
Key Questions
What are the seven home trend groups Zillow identifies for 2027?
They are quiet technology and analog spaces, elevated interiors, safety and efficiency, flex spaces, aging in place, wellness and hobby rooms, and catios.
What does Zillow’s 119% increase in AI mentions mean?
It means AI-related wording appeared more often in for-sale listings than in the prior year, according to the report. It does not mean buyer demand or the number of AI-equipped homes rose by 119%.
Does the report show that these features increase resale value?
No. The report tracks listing language and does not establish that any feature raises a home’s sale price or makes it sell faster.
Which home features saw increased listing mentions?
Examples include analog rooms, home offices, flex spaces, whole-home batteries, ventilation systems, spa-inspired bathrooms and catios. Zillow reported catio mentions were up 32% year over year.
Source: veranda.com
