Digital Home Technology More Widespread

By: Brian Deagon: REALTOR® Magazine Online
As home technology becomes more affordable, reliable, and user friendly, more consumers will become more open to incorporating "smart" features into their properties, experts say.

Smart homes feature computer networks that control appliances, security systems, and heating and air-conditioning systems, usually through the Web. Wireless broadband is helping to fuel the trend.

Rather than base smart homes on "cool technology," the Internet Home Alliance says the focus needs to be on instituting products for the home's three ecosystems: family, work, and entertainment. Products that serve the family ecosystem concentrate on security and energy-efficiency, among other things; while those that serve the work ecosystem include cell phones and telecommuting tools.

Joe Dada, founder of SmartLabs and Smarthome.com, says he expects word-of-mouth advertising to boost the popularity of smart homes, but he and other experts believe home builders need to do more to promote the technology.

Bill Ablondi of the Parks Associates research firm says builders are not widely aware of the smart-home products that are presently available, which is why most do not include such products in their inventory.