Even as return-to-office mandates gathered momentum this year, demand for remote- and hybrid-work-ready home features is accelerating, according to the Hottest Home Trends report from Realtor.com®.
The analysis, which tracks how often specific home features appear in active listings, found that while eco-efficient upgrades dominated the top five spots, remote-work amenities filled the next 10—a clear sign that flexibility still matters to buyers.
“Built-in coffee system, smart lighting scenes, and hardwired Ethernet/Cat6 are featured in spots 6 through 15 and speak to the desire for homes that are both convenient and reliable, especially as remote work and digital lifestyles remain prevalent,” explains Anthony Smith, senior economist at Realtor.com. “A strong network and automated controls have become just as much a selling point as square footage.”
And with nearly 40% of full-time workers spending at least part of their week at home, according to the U.S. Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes from WFH Research, showcasing these features could help a listing appeal to a wider pool of buyers.
Here are the remote-work trends reshaping the market in 2025.
Stronger connections: High-speed networking tops the list
Listings highlighting hardwired ethernet or Cat6 capabilities jumped 66.3% in 2025, with a median price of $497,340 for these homes. The popularity of these features may in part be owed to their increased performance: Ethernet outperforms Wi-Fi by a factor of as great as 10:1.
Cat6 Ethernet cables provide the highest bandwidth for Ethernet, allowing speeds of up to 10Gbps or greater, while Wi-Fi theoretically tops out at under 7Gbps, though actual speeds are usually less than 1Gbps.
For anyone who has been dropped from a Zoom call repeatedly due to poor connection, the appeal is clear.
Dedicated workspaces still reign supreme
And for those who have struggled to make space for their professional calls amid the hustle and bustle of daily home life, it will come as no surprise that soundproofing is also on the rise, jumping 62.1% compared with a year ago. These homes had a median list price of $825,000, pointing to soundproofing’s popularity in higher-end segments of the market.
While those amenities emerged as new trends this year, the home office or Zoom room was already a prominent feature of homes, present in listing descriptions for many years. Even so, such spaces somehow become even more popular than a year ago, jumping 56.5%.
“[This indicates] that remote- and hybrid-work arrangements continue to influence home preferences years after the pandemic,” adds Smith.
The median list price for these homes sits comfortably above the national median of $424,000, at $514,990—pointing to their mainstream appeal.
Wellness at home: Gyms, coffee bars, and smart lighting surge
Shortly after the pandemic, offices dangled generous perks like catered lunches, on-premises gyms, and wellness rooms to entice workers back. But the environment has considerably changed, and the “Big Boss Era” has arrived, marking an end to many such benefits.
Workers are finding other ways to compensate in their houses. Home gyms are one of the most popular additions, appearing in 91% more listings compared with a year ago. These homes had a median list price of $599,000.
Built-in coffee systems are also a popular addition, surging 72.2%. These bean-to-cup features retail for around $5,000 to $7,000 and can do just about anything your local coffee shop can: brew a pot of coffee, make a perfect cappuccino, or spice things up with a ristretto.
But before you forsake your local barista and install one in your own home, these systems are generally relegated to higher-end houses, like this luxury home in Phoenix represented by Cindy Davis at Compass. Listings that featured a built-in coffee system had a median price of $916,778.
Smart lighting scenes preconfigure specific settings for smart lights that can set the mood automatically. If you have trouble transitioning from work to night or from morning routine into work mode, these lighting systems can help you switch seamlessly.
Their popularity has grown by 70.1% compared with a year ago, appearing in listings with a median price of $685,000.
For health conscious workers, cold plunges have also spiked, growing 61.6% since 2024. But these luxury features appeal to a smaller buyer pool, appearing in listings with a median price of $1.8 million.
On the flipside, for workers who like to blow off a little steam after work, pickleball courts, like the one featured in this Austin, TX, listing from Abby Alwan, have surged 52% since last year.
The four-bedroom, 2.5 bath home sits on a generous 2 acre lot and boasts “plans available for a lap pool, tennis/pickleball court, and a detached 3-car garage with guest quarters” for any interested buyers.
And unlike cold plunges, pickleball courts sit comfortably below a luxury threshold: Listings with this feature had a median list price of $594,995.
Hybrid work continues to reshape home design
The rise of remote- and hybrid-work features signals a permanent shift in how Americans define comfort, productivity, and value at home.
As Smith notes, buyers are no longer just chasing square footage—they’re looking for spaces that can flex between work and life with ease. Even as offices call workers back, homes that offer reliability, performance, and convenience are fast becoming the ultimate perk.