The following is a guest post by Lauren Gellman of Nest

As you consider buying or selling a house, chances are you’ve also thought about making your next home “smarter”, or upgrading your current home with connected products before selling. These days, homeowners are increasingly barraged by an array of products claiming to do just that. From thermostats and security cameras to fridges and toasters, you can add smart devices to any room in your house. And according to McKinsey, 29 million US households have added at least one connected device, a number that’s growing at about 30% a year. But with so many connected products out there, how do you know which ones are right for you?

At Nest, we focus on making simple, delightful products that make your life easier and give you peace of mind. That’s how we’re creating the thoughtful home – a home that takes care of the people inside it and the world around it.

When the Nest Learning Thermostat™ launched in 2011, thermostats were ugly, inefficient, outdated, and difficult to use. Not only did we build the first connected thermostat that you can control from your phone, we built a beautiful product that saves energy. It’s simple to install yourself and even comes with a bubble level to make sure you can easily mount it just right. And if you need help installing, we have a team of Nest Pros ready to assist you.  

With Nest Protect™, our smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, we gave the same attention to design while adding some features that make interacting with your smoke alarm less annoying. Instead of chirping at you when the battery is low, Nest Protect notifies you on your phone. When it detects a little smoke, it gives you a friendly Heads Up instead of a loud alarm. It regularly tests its sensors to make sure it’s functioning properly. And if you’re up in the middle of the night to check on the kids, the Pathlight feature will light up to help you find your way.  

Finally, with Nest Cam Indoor™ and Nest Cam Outdoor™, you can check on your home anywhere right from the Nest App. These cameras can tell a person from a thing, they never go to sleep on the job*, and they’ll let you know if something doesn’t seem right.

The beauty, intelligence, and simplicity of these products has made them leaders in the connected home space. But they’re even more compelling when they’re working together. If your Nest Protect detects elevated carbon monoxide levels in your house, it will tell your Nest Thermostat to shut off your furnace, a possible culprit. If your Nest Thermostat senses that you’re out of the house, it can tell your Nest Cams to turn on to keep an eye on things.

And with the Works With Nest ecosystem, your home can add connected devices from smart plugs and locks, to ceiling fans and kitchen appliances.

We’re excited to work with Coldwell Banker as the connected home becomes real for any homeowner. Together, we can help make home safer, more energy efficient, more comfortable, and more secure. And we can help you upgrade your home before selling with the Smart Home Staging Kit, which comes with the building blocks of a smart home, including a Nest Thermostat and a Nest Protect.

So, as you consider buying or selling your home, it’s about time to consider making your home a thoughtful home, too.

*=Video streaming, recording and mobile notifications requires working internet and Wi-Fi.