What Buyers Want

what sells a home

15 home features buyers want in a home.

Recently an article titled “Top 15 Home Features That Will Sell Your Home Fast- and for More Cash” was published by realtor.com. Based on research their team figured out what the majority of sellers are looking for in their next home. 

Keep in mind, real estate is local and while many items on the “hot list” may not work for Cincinnati.

The nitty-gritty of the list is realtor.com combed more than a million single-family listings.  They calculated the median price, days on the market while looking at 70 popular home features.  Bottom line homes that took longer than 84 days to sell caused their features to be eliminated from the list.  

The most profitable home features for sellers hoping to close quickly:

  1. Chef’s kitchen/ gourmet kitchen
  2. Theater room
  3. Home gym
  4. 3-car garage
  5. Solar panels
  6. Quartz counters
  7. Exterior lighting
  8. Tennis court
  9. Home office
  10. In-ground pool
  11. Mudroom
  12. Security system
  13. Fireplace
  14. Smart home features
  15. Walk-in closet

It’s easy to understand the need for a great kitchen, fireplace and walk-in closet.  Those are features that most buyers are looking for today.  The 3-car garage is on everybody’s wish list but the number of homes in greater Cincinnati with that feature is harder to find.

Pools in Cincinnati are becoming more popular but sinking one into the ground for resale may not be a good move.  Many buyers really don’t want pools and would rather walk (or drive) to the neighborhood pool.  And solar panels pop up on roofs around town but they aren’t trending in greater Cincinnati yet.

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Take a look at the 3330 single-family homes currently listed in the Multiple Listing Service of Greater Cincinnati. Look at how many of the must-have features are listed in our market:

  1. Exercise room – 193 listed
  2. 3-car garage – 809
  3. In-ground pools – 135
  4. Media rooms- 131
  5. Solar panels- 1
  6. Quartz counters – 6
  7. Fireplace – 668
  8. Walk-in closet- 342

Each area has unique features or amenities buyers think they must have in a home.  And while realtor.com has tons of data available to them, before you spend a fortune ask your local Realtor® what’s hot in your area.