My Thoughts on Zillow’s 2025 Home Trend Predictions
It’s already May, so we’re well into 2025—but I recently came across Zillow’s Home Trend Predictions for the year and figured I’d share some of my thoughts on them.
Do I fully trust Zillow to predict what homeowners and buyers are actually prioritizing in their spaces? Lol not exactly. But a few things definitely stood out in the article—and some, I’d say, are right on track. So let’s get into it!
Electric Features & Sustainability
The first thing that caught my attention was Zillow noting a rise in listing mentions for things like EV chargers, solar panels, whole-home batteries, etc. I do think this is going to be a category where we continue to see growth. I wouldn’t say it’s at the top of most buyers’ minds yet, but personally, I’m 1000% here for this shift.
According to Zillow, mentions of whole-home batteries—which store excess solar energy and act as generators during outages—are up 62% in listings this year. Solar panels are up 18%, and electric vehicle charging stations have increased by 34%. The data makes it clear: sustainable home features are showing up more, and buyers are starting to notice.
I think that the more we talk about sustainability and energy efficiency in homes, the more normalized it becomes—which is a good thing for everyone.
Fun fact: I received my NAR Green Designation back in 2022 (We can thank my environmental engineer partner Alec for inspiring me to care more about being green). This is a continuing ed course I chose to take because it focused on long-term home performance, sustainable practices, and energy-smart decision-making for homeowners and buyers alike. And this designation gave me SUCH a strong foundation in understanding what’s actually worth doing right now when it comes to making a home more efficient—like what is feasible for homeowners to upgrade rather than resorting to gutting everything; what buyers are beginning to care about; what systems help reduce both environmental impact and future costs. It was super interesting!
Anyway, the takeaway I want you to have— I promise ya: we don’t have to go full off-grid. There are so many smart, convenient choices available now. Solar tax incentives to take advantage of. Triple-pane windows with low-E coatings. Smart thermostats. High-efficiency HVAC. Induction ranges. Even solar-ready electrical panels. Oh and if you're replacing windows anytime soon, I love lines from Marvin & Andersen that still hit Energy Star ratings but don’t scream sterile / ultramodern.
From a resale perspective, I wouldn’t say ie. solar is a golden ticket to a higher sales price. But these features, especially when integrated effectively and thoughtfully, absolutely leave an impression. There are buyers out there actively looking for this stuff now. And I do think we’re going to see that number grow. If any of this is something you’re curious about, I’m always happy to talk more about sustainable options—whether you're buying, renovating, or just wondering where to start!
“Cozy” is On The Rise
Zillow says that listings using the word “cozy” are up 35%, while open-concept layouts seem to be fading a bit.
Honestly, I can see why! I think we all loved open concept until we realized that often meant there’s literally nowhere to go for privacy… no room for layered lighting or intentional separation. It can start to feel chaotic fast! Speaking for myself, I have definitely seen waaaay too many flips where the main floor is just one giant, echoey rectangle. Like, no thank you ma’am.
I don’t think open layouts are going away entirely. For example, if you currently have a “galley” kitchen or a layout where the kitchen is really boxed off, most people still want some kind of visual connection to their dining or living areas. When the kitchen is even somewhat opened up, it instantly makes entertaining and connecting with others in your home easier. If you’re a parent, being able to prep dinner while keeping an eye on your kids is also a huge plus. I have encountered some older buyers who actually still prefer closed-off or galley kitchens, which I totally respect. But for the majority of people I work with or encounter in the field, the goal is more balance—not total separation or total openness. Something in between.
So no, I wouldn’t call open concept dead, even with “cozy” being on the rise, haha. But I do hope that open-concept is being rethought. I’m glad this is a topic or trend being talked about, and that we’re having this conversation. Because I think warmth and functionality really do go hand-in-hand with just a liiiittle bit of separation.
Old-World Style Is (Gratefully) Back
Zillow reports that listing mentions of words like vintage (+9%), nostalgia (+14%), and even scullery (+8%) are on the rise. Oh—and my favorite—home libraries are up 22%. Yes, please.
If you know me, you know I’m willldddlly here for this! Give me all the built-in bookcases with trim, a rolling library ladder, and a tucked-away reading nook. I’m sold! On a serious note— I’m deeply on board with this being a rising trend—and I really hope it sticks!
Over the past year, I’ve had so many conversations with buyers who are totally over the abundance of cookie-cutter options on the market. Myself included. People are craving warmth. Charm. Soul. YES! Even in newer homes!
This doesn’t have to mean more money! It just requires intentional, thoughtful design. So I don’t know if it’s a builder issue or just projects not bringing in an interior design consultant, but simple things—millwork, crown molding, built-ins, tasteful wallpaper integrated, dreamy light fixtures or wall sconces—these little things can make a huge difference. And I promise, buyers notice.
Don’t get me wrong—I’m not anti-flip. I absolutely see the value of flips in real estate investing and of course new construction always has a place. But it’s tough to watch beautiful older homes get gutted and replaced with sterile, uninspired finishes just for the sake of speed. That whole “grab-everything-from-the-Home-Depot-aisle” approach.
Repeat after me: charm does not have to equal high cost. There are affordable materials out there that can add character and feel timeless. If you ever need help picking finishes, I’ve done this for plenty of sellers—GC hat unofficially on—and I love doing it! If nothing else, I just want people to remember this: buyers connect emotionally to homes that feel lived in—not in a worn-down way, but in a thoughtful, inviting, soulful way. A home with character tells a story. And buyers want to be part of one!
Climate Resiliency
So I know I already mentioned electric features & sustainability above, but in a similar conversation—climate resiliency is also another huge piece of the puzzle when it comes to long-term livability. According to Zillow, 86% of buyers now want at least one climate-resilient feature when searching for a home—things like flood barriers, seismic upgrades, water catchment systems, and drought-tolerant landscaping, and so on. And while this category will probably never be the most glamorous, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it’s one of the most important aspects of homeownership that we can all stand to learn more about. So I’m genuinely happy to see this conversation gaining traction!
Here in the Chicagoland area, we may not be thinking about wildfires, hurricanes, or extreme droughts—but we are dealing with heavier rains, aging infrastructure, and homes that were built long before drainage and waterproofing were even a thing. Basement flooding is no joke. It can be expensive, disruptive, and a serious safety risk.
When Alec and I bought our home, our property inspection revealed that the property had zero proper drainage systems in place. The grading was a bit wack in areas, no waterproofing whatsoever, and there was plenty of water damage visible. If I wasn’t with a very nerdy environmental engineer, I honestly don’t know if I would’ve felt comfortable moving forward haha. So I’m grateful for Alec’s very capable brain! Since purchasing our home, we’ve added some proper perimeter drainage, installed a French drain, improved areas of the grading, and still have some stuff to do but overall we’ve done a lot to upgrade our water management systems across the board. And I’m so glad we did!
Another thing I’m equally relieved about is radon mitigation. We added radon testing to our inspection (something I will always urge my buyers to do), and the levels from the 2-3 day test were through the roof. It’s supposed to test below 4.0. Ours came in above 50.0 (yeah, insane). The seller covered the cost of installing two radon mitigation systems before closing (our house layout simply required two), and thank goodness!
These kinds of updates—whether it’s sump pumps, back flow valves, vapor barriers, radon mitigation, or proper exterior grading—aren’t “nice to have.” They’re crucial. They’re the things that keep your home safe and dry and your long-term investment secure.
As a realtor, part of my job is to keep an eye out for these features when we walk through a home. I’m not a home inspector (and that’s why you’ll have a whole team of people supporting you in a transaction), but I take this part of the process seriously—because it matters. And because I want my clients to feel empowered, not overwhelmed. I really believe that the more we normalize these topics, the better decisions we’ll all be able to make—especially when it comes to buying and maintaining a home that will last!
So no, it’s not glamorous. But I’m really glad to see climate resiliency starting to take center stage. Wooo!
Wet Rooms & Wellness
Most people understand “wet rooms” as being fully-waterproofed bathroom spaces where there’s usually no barrier between ie. a shower and the rest of the room. It’s an open-concept layout design, and often we’ll see like a freestanding tub in the same zone as a shower space. It’s very “clean,” spa-like, and quite “in” right now. According to Zillow, the term “wet room” is seeing a 19% uptick in listings, and I’m not surprised.
One of my favorite wet rooms I’ve seen to date was actually in a listing Vince Anzalone flipped in the Gold Coast a year or so ago (pictured above). He did suuuucch a phenomenal job with the entire design, but oh my… the primary ensuite— it was everything!! Heated dolomite floors, a matte black freestanding tub with a marble herringbone shower all integrated into a stunning wet room layout. It was one of those bathrooms you walk into and just feel the exhale. But beyond aesthetics, I think this whole trend speaks to something deeper. Zillow also notes that “wellness features” overall are up 16%, and this is something I couldn’t be happier to see this gaining traction. To me this isn’t just about cold plunges or spa-level bathrooms. I think a rise in wellness features is about people really wanting their homes to support them and how they want to feel.
I’ll always go back to one of my favorite sentiments; a saying that really anchors me and my work:
“You are Your Home.” We really are! What we surround ourselves with impacts how we move through the world. Our home isn’t just a box structure where we eat and sleep—it’s a physical space that either supports or complicates how we show up every day.
So I don’t believe this means we need to gut our home or spend tens of thousands of dollars to create a sense of alignment. Sometimes it’s the simplest choices that have the biggest effect. Ask yourself:
What kind of lighting are you using—and how does it make you feel during long windows at home?
Are you constantly rearranging furniture just to have a friend over for dinner?
Is your kitchen layout intuitive, or is it exhausting just to make a cup of coffee?
Could your entryway be more functional with just a few hooks, a mirror, or a storage bench?
Do you have one spot—just one—in your home that feels like yours, where you can retreat and breathe?
These aren’t “luxury” questions. I firmly believe a wellness-centered or inspired design can exist at any budget—it’s simply designing our homes to reflects our routines, our energy, and our values.
You Are Your Home has genuinely been such an anchoring belief for me over the years. This idea is actually the foundation of a longer piece I’ve been working on since January-ish. At the heart of it is this: When our personal and physical interiors are aligned, life feels lighter.
Our homes can reflect more than just our Pinterest boards. They can reflect our priorities, our inner world and goals. Design can reflect the way we want to live—not just the way we want our space to look. So yes, I’m looooooving this trend. And more than anything, I hope more people start thinking about this—not just when they’re renovating, but when they’re house hunting too!
Haha so I may have rolled my eyes when I first saw Zillow is out here predicting home trends, but reading through their 2025 list was actually pretty exciting! And spot on. A lot of this feels aligned with conversations I’ve been having, both with clients and in my own head.
If any of the trends sparked something for you—whether you agree, disagree, or just want to talk more about it—you know how to reach me. I’m always happy to chat!
Thanks for reading!
