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Zillow’s 2027 home trends report tracks year-over-year changes in terms used in for-sale listings, including increases in mentions of catios, multigenerational living and home offices. The figures show how listing descriptions are changing; they do not establish that buyers will choose homes with these features or that the features raise resale value.
Zillow’s 2027 home trends report identifies seven areas appearing more often in for-sale listings, including catios, hobby and wellness rooms, flexible spaces, and features for multigenerational living. The annual analysis tracks listing-description terms, rather than directly measuring buyer preferences or sales outcomes, so its findings indicate what sellers are highlighting—not proof that these features will increase a home’s value.
The report points to a rise in both technology and spaces designed for time away from screens. Zillow says mentions of AI in listings rose 119% year over year, while app-controlled home systems rose 34%. At the same time, analog spaces such as libraries and music rooms appeared 34% more often. The figures describe changes in listing language; the report does not establish how many homes have these features or whether buyers paid more for them.
For interiors, mentions of “elevated” rose 71%, while “cozy” fell 22%, “eclectic” 19% and “boho” 13%. Zillow also recorded increases in color-drenched spaces, painted brick exteriors and board-and-batten siding. In the report’s safety and efficiency category, whole-home batteries rose 43%, fresh-air ventilation systems 52%, air filtration 25%, water filtration 22% and radon mitigation 18%. Mentions of “sustainable” and “green” each fell 26%.
The remaining trends point to more varied uses of home space and household needs. Listings mentioning home offices rose 42%, media rooms 37% and flex spaces 35%, while chef’s kitchens fell 21% and gourmet kitchens 15%. Multigenerational living rose 58%; grab bars rose 18% and wider doorways 13%. Zillow also reported increases in golf simulators, home gyms, spa-inspired bathrooms and cold plunge pools. Catios—screened outdoor areas for cats—rose 32%; dog-grooming stations fell 16%, while dog parks were flat.
Listing Trends Could Shape Renovation Choices
The report may help homeowners and sellers identify features receiving more attention in listing descriptions, from adaptable rooms to backup power and pet spaces. That can inform decisions about what to emphasize when marketing a property, or what to investigate before undertaking a renovation. But the report does not show that adding any listed feature will produce a higher sale price, sell a home faster or appeal to every buyer.
The contrast between rising mentions of work and hobby rooms and declining mentions of gourmet kitchens suggests sellers are describing homes in a broader way than through traditional prestige features alone. For readers weighing an upgrade, the distinction matters: a listing trend is a signal about marketing language, not a guaranteed return on investment. Costs, local demand, the home’s condition and a household’s own needs remain relevant.
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What Zillow Counted in Its Report
The source report, published by Veranda, describes Zillow’s annual home trends report as an analysis of terms appearing more or less often in home listings. Its percentages compare the frequency of mentions with the prior year. The report’s categories range from design choices, such as color-drenched rooms, to practical systems, including batteries and ventilation, as well as household features such as wider doorways.
That method captures how properties are presented in listings. It does not, by itself, measure the number of buyers searching for each feature, completed renovations, transaction prices or how often a feature influenced a purchase. The percentages should be read as changes in the use of listing terms, not as percentages of all homes or buyers.
“Mentions of AI are up 119%, which is the largest year-over-year jump in this year’s data.”
— Zillow, as quoted in Veranda’s report
What Listing Mentions Cannot Show
The published figures do not establish whether buyers are specifically seeking these features, how many listings contain them, or whether they affect sale prices. The report, as described by Veranda, provides year-over-year changes in listing mentions, but the supplied account does not give the underlying counts, geographic breakdowns or methodology details needed to assess each trend’s scale across markets.
It is also unclear whether a change in wording reflects more homes being built or renovated with a feature, sellers becoming more likely to mention it, or both. The numbers do not establish a forecast that each trend will continue through 2027. Zillow’s findings are best treated as a snapshot of listing language, not a guarantee about what an individual buyer will want.
How Homeowners Can Read the Signals
Homeowners considering a sale can use the report as a prompt to review how a property’s existing features are described, while checking local listings and speaking with a real estate professional about their market. Those considering renovations can compare the cost and usefulness of an upgrade with their own plans for the home rather than relying on a year-over-year listing-term increase as evidence of resale value.
The next useful test will be whether these listing patterns persist and whether they align with buyer activity and sale outcomes. Zillow’s figures, as presented in the source report, do not answer that question. Until further data connects listing mentions with purchases or prices, the report offers a guide to seller language—not a definitive forecast of buyer behavior.
Key Questions
What are the seven home trend areas Zillow identified?
The report groups its findings around quiet technology and analog spaces, elevated interiors, safety and efficiency, flexible spaces, aging in place, wellness and hobby rooms, and catios. It tracks changes in the terms used in for-sale listings.
Does the report prove buyers will pay more for these features?
No. The figures describe year-over-year changes in listing mentions. They do not show that a feature raises sale prices, speeds up a sale or directly influences a buyer’s decision.
Which trend had the largest increase reported?
According to Zillow as quoted by Veranda, mentions of AI rose 119% year over year, the largest jump in the report’s data. The supplied material does not provide the underlying count or a market-by-market breakdown.
What is a catio?
A catio is a screened outdoor space designed to let cats spend time outside while remaining enclosed. Zillow’s report says catios appeared in 32% more for-sale listings than in the prior year.
Should homeowners renovate based on these trends?
The report is not a renovation or resale-value guarantee. Homeowners can compare a feature’s cost and usefulness with their own needs and local market conditions before deciding whether to make a change.
Source: veranda.com
