What’s In, What’s Out: The Hottest Home Trends of 2025

by Chuck Barberini

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Water-saving faucets are suddenly the hottest thing in real estate.

According to Realtor.com®, mentions of WaterSense fixtures in active listings jumped 289% year over year, the single biggest spike among any home feature in 2025.

That number alone says a lot about where buyer demand is heading.

Realtor.com analyzed thousands of for-sale listings from January through September 2024 and 2025 to uncover which home features are gaining or losing traction. The results point to one major theme: homes that save energy, conserve resources, and connect people to nature are winning across all price points.

Efficiency Is the New Luxury

The fastest-growing home features this year share one thing in common: they make homes more sustainable and cost-efficient.

Four of the top five trends tie directly to conservation and eco-friendly living:

WaterSense fixtures, up 289.6% year over year, with a median list price of $627,740
Biophilic / indoor-outdoor design, up 162.6%, with a median of $858,999
Net-zero ready homes, up 100%, median $449,700
EV charging, up 91.6%, median $839,000

Even outdoor low-voltage lighting, which grew 91% from last year, fits the theme, offering both energy efficiency and outdoor ambience.

These upgrades aren’t just for luxury listings. They’re showing up in midrange homes too, as more homeowners want to lower bills and live sustainably without sacrificing comfort or design.

Nature Moves In

If 2024 was about functionality, 2025 is about feeling. The second-fastest-growing trend, biophilic design, brings nature indoors through glass walls, interior courtyards, and greenery-filled spaces. Homes that blur the line between inside and outside saw a 163% increase in listing mentions this year.

The takeaway is emotional as much as practical. People aren’t just chasing energy savings; they’re craving connection.

Large windows, plants, and natural textures make homes feel calmer and more alive, which may explain why this trend shows up across nearly every price tier.

Smarter Homes, Simplified

Smart home features continue to evolve from “nice-to-have” to expectation. Several ranked among the fastest risers:

Built-in coffee systems, up 72%
Smart lighting scenes, up 70%
Hardwired Ethernet/Cat6, up 66%

Each of these reflects a lifestyle shift. Convenience and reliability are driving buyer decisions, especially in an era where work-from-home setups still dominate.

The home office/Zoom room remains both one of the most widespread and fastest-growing features, up 56% year over year with a median price of $515,000.

What’s Losing Steam

As some trends surge, others are quietly fading out of focus. The steepest declines in listing mentions tell a story of changing priorities:

Formal dining rooms with built-ins fell 25%
Infinity-edge pools dropped 24.7%
Three-car garages declined 19%
Old-World European aesthetics fell 18%

Buyers are opting for natural light over ornate detail, and functionality over formality. Even ultra-luxury spaces are shedding excess in favor of openness and ease of use.

Luxury Redefined

The new look of luxury is clean, connected, and experience-driven. Among the fastest-rising high-end features:

Coastal Modern design, up 125.6%, median $1.3 million
Aged Metal Accents, up 79.8%, median $1.7 million
Backlit Onyx / Stone, up 50.9%, median $3.35 million

At the top of the price spectrum, wine walls and glass NanaWall systems are replacing wine vaults and heavy drapery.

These spaces are built to entertain, flow, and highlight natural materials rather than hide them.

The Big Picture

The data shows a clear shift: efficiency is no longer a niche feature. It’s a mainstream expectation.

Whether it’s a $400,000 starter home or a multimillion-dollar estate, buyers are prioritizing smarter systems, greener materials, and designs that feel grounded in nature.

Sustainability isn’t just good marketing. It’s becoming the standard for comfort, quality, and modern living.