I Want a Smart Home – Where Do I Begin?

Thinking of immersing yourself in smart home technology? Not so fast! Coldwell Banker agents provide their thoughts on where to begin and steps you should take to make sure you’re making informed decisions.

Earlier this month, Coldwell Banker released its official Smart Home Definition created in collaboration with CNET, the world’s largest and most trusted online source of consumer technology news and reviews.

The definition was created with input from some of the most knowledgeable smart home authorities at Coldwell Banker: our agents. Coldwell Banker real estate agents are on the front lines of the emerging smart home movement not only as real estate professionals, but also as users of the smart home products themselves!

We asked three of our savviest smart home agents for their advice on what steps newcomers can take as they begin to think about adding smart home products or technology to their home. Here is what they had to say:

Angel Piontek, Sales Associate with Coldwell Banker Elite in Fredericksburg, VA, is an avid smart home tech user herself, making her the perfect person to counsel clients on how to introduce smart home technology to their lives. Her tip? “Start with identifying aspects of your daily routine that you’d like to improve and choose your products based on that,” she said. “Technology has allowed us to interact with our homes like never before, but it can seem like a daunting task when finding a point of entry.”

Travis Gray, Sales Associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Annapolis, MD, suggests taking small steps when first adding smart home technology to your home: “Start simple and build out from there. Going overboard right away can be intimidating and overwhelming for some home owners. Focus on the technology that you will use on a weekly basis.”

Danny Hertzberg, Sales Associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Miami Beach, FL, suggests taking a look at some of your own pesky daily habits: “Pick something that will make your daily life more convenient. For example, if you often forget to turn off the lights on your way out, try installing Lutron lighting so you can hit one button on your smart phone and worry no more. If you dislike getting up from your cozy bed to change the heating or cooling temperature, then try Nest for your first step into smart home tech.”

Like any cool gadgets, beware…smart home technology can be addicting! A recent Coldwell Banker survey found that seventy percent of people with smart home technology said that buying their first smart home product made them more likely to buy another one. However, Coldwell Banker agents all agree: do your research and start small. Once you adapt to and become comfortable with one smart home element, you can broaden your horizons and integrate other components of your home.

Senior Manager, Public Relations & Giving for Coldwell Banker. Grew up in Sarasota and attended college at Western Carolina University. Athena wanted to wake up in that city that doesn’t sleep so headed to Madison Avenue to start her marketing career. She has been with this awesome brand for more than 15 years and can be found generating buzz about CB in every way possible. Athena helps to grow the brand’s position as the most storied real estate company within the industry and has led many high-profile endeavors; she was at the forefront of the brand’s pioneering smart home campaign, raised $6 million in two years to build 130 Habitat for Humanity homes, and led the Homes for Dogs program in partnership with Adopt-a-Pet.com that resulted in tens-of-thousands of dogs finding their furever home. She currently leads the CB Supports St. Jude program, which encourages the Coldwell Banker network’s 96,000+ real estate agents to make donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for every real estate transaction they represent. In her spare time, you can find her either digging up a new area in her yard for another flower bed or planning her next travel adventure. She's the proud mom of three cats Jolene, Ziggy and Lucy.

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1 Comment

  1. Jim Strong
    June 3, 2016

    In my view smart home should be begin with the protecting children when they alone at home.

    Reply

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