What are prospective homebuyers looking for in a home in 2025

Welcome back and I hope you are all having a good start to the year. Given that we are only just getting through the first half of the first month, I thought I'd slip in one more 2025 related post (don't worry it's pretty concise), courtesy of this timely report by Bright MLS, the proprietary search and research tool that we realtors use to share information with our clients. If you happen to be a seller, a buyer, or interested in real estate in general, here is what prospective homebuyers in 2025 are expected to prioritize for in a home: 

  1. Move-In-Ready Condition: 56.1% of buyers consider a home that requires no repairs as very important. (Updated kitchens and bathrooms are ideal but not always mandatory. For me this has always depended on the overall as it relates or compares to size, location and value)

  2. Number of Bedrooms: 53.2% rank the number of bedrooms as a top priority. 

  3. Garage: 49.6% of buyers find having a garage very important. (In the case of city living this is less a priority and or an option)

  4. Primary Bedroom with En-Suite Bathroom: 49.3% value a primary bedroom that includes an en-suite bathroom. 

  5. Overall Home Size: 43.3% consider the overall size of the home to be very important with a preference for open floor plans

  6. Front Porch: 32.5% of buyers desire a front porch when possible. 

  7. Energy-Efficient Green Features: 32.0% prioritize homes with energy-efficient or green features. (If you are interested in digging a little deeper and or missed it, please refer to my 3 part series in green energy from last yr). 

  8. Large Yard: 31.2% find a large yard to be very important. 

  9. Gourmet or Upgraded Kitchen: 24.8% of buyers look for a gourmet or upgraded kitchen. 

  10. Well-Designed Outdoor Space: 24.3% value a well-designed outdoor area. 

CONCLUSION

Clearly, these preferences continue to reflect a strong inclination towards homes that are eminently desirable, with specific features such as adequate bedrooms, garages, and en-suite bathrooms.  

However, it should be noted that in a low inventory relatively high interest environment like in the DC Metro area that it behooves would-be buyers to consider making compromises on at least one of these or more. 

For my part, I am happy to share my expertise and list of contractors to compensate, within reason, for any deficiencies a home might have out of the gate. A home is a long time purchase and not everyone has the chops or the budget to compete for the most in demand homes, especially younger first time homebuyers who are likely not looking to buy a forever home. Also, keep in mind also that the average hold time for a home is approximately seven years. 

As always, thank you for reading and feel free to comment or like the post...


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