7 ways remote work has shaped homebuyer preferences

by Luke Babich | Jul 4, 2025 | Industry, News Feed

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It’s impossible to deny the many ways the increase in the number of remote workers since the pandemic has changed the housing landscape. Where once homebuyers focused on proximity to jobs and commute times, many now simply have to wake up and take a few steps to the next room to start work.

As a real estate agent, it’s important to consider your client’s work life and how that impacts the type of home that will suit them best. Some clients will require dedicated home offices, while others might have a hybrid schedule where certain rooms have multiple uses. 

Knowing your buyer’s preferences can help you find the ideal home for them. Here are some things remote workers look for when purchasing a home.

1. Separate workspace

Most homebuyers who work remotely prefer having a separate space to work. That way, they have a physical separation between work life and home life. However, with rising home prices and 44 percent of potential homebuyers prioritizing affordability, real estate agents may need to help their clients think creatively about potential workspaces. 

For example, if a home doesn’t have a spare bedroom, encourage your clients to use a loft, a reading nook, an enclosed porch, a den or a garage apartment as a home office. A finished room in the basement or a large space with added doors or privacy panels can also help separate a workspace from the rest of the house. 

2. Airy floor plans

The median home price was $418,000 as of January 2025, a 45 percent increase in five years. That means many homebuyers are priced out of specific markets that were once within reach. The challenge in this market is finding a home with a spacious floor plan that’s still within your clients’ budget. 

Remote workers who are indoors in the same place most of the day want homes that feel spacious and airy to walk around in so they don’t go stir crazy. Agents can help their clients by looking for homes with multiple zones and versatile layouts, which can help break up the monotony of a smaller home. 

3. Lots of natural light

Remote workers aren’t waiting in traffic to get to the office, but when they’re working and living in the same space, they’re not getting outside as much. This can take a toll on their mental health and productivity.

Many remote workers are drawn to spaces with abundant natural light, large windows and even skylights. Having a yard or porch to work on can also be helpful if they can work outside on their laptop to enjoy some sunlight. 

As a real estate agent, you should look for homes with adequate lighting throughout, especially in potential workspaces.

4. Quiet suburbs

Before the pandemic, more working professionals were flocking to cities for job opportunities. Now that so many people work remotely, a higher percentage of buyers are looking for houses in the suburbs, where more affordable prices and more land mean they can get more square footage without going over their budget.

That’s particularly important in today’s economy as inflation continues to trend upward and mortgage rates are much higher than they were a few years ago.

With no need to worry about a long commute, remote workers often want to relocate to an area where they can live more comfortably, away from the city’s noise, which can be distracting during their workday. 

5. Location near amenities

For remote workers, access to amenities is as important as space. For instance, living near a coffee shop or coworking space can give them somewhere else to work if they need to get out of the house.

Walkability could also play a significant role in their decision about where to live. Nearby parks and trails may be particularly important to remote workers who want to take walks to break up their workday. Nearby restaurants for a quick lunch or grocery stores may also be considered when remote workers are buying a new home.

Finding homes that meet this criterion can be an added bonus for your buyers. Even if there aren’t coffee shops nearby, showing your buyers neighborhoods with dedicated sidewalks and nearby trails can go a long way in showing how their lives could look in that location.

6. Smart-tech capabilities

Showing homes in areas with access to reliable, high-speed internet, excellent cell signals and other technological needs is also vital for many remote workers. Having an office space with numerous outlets and access to several top Internet companies can be a game-changer for remote workers. 

Many remote workers also look for homes that already have other smart features, such as smart appliances, lighting and security systems. Doorbell cameras and already installed video security systems can make managing working from home easier and safer.

7. Pet-friendly amenities

When working from home, having a good setup for pets is key to ensuring remote workers have a peaceful workday. Remote workers can’t skip meetings to walk their dog multiple times a day. Instead, having a fenced-in yard can make it easier for remote workers to let their pets in and out with minimal disruption.

If your clients have a significant interest in their pets, finding a home with a drop zone, mud room or even a pet bathing area can help your clients see themselves living and working in that space. Taking the extra time to identify dog parks, walking paths and pet-friendly restaurants near a home can also help convince buyers they’ve found the perfect place.

Remote work isn’t going away anytime soon. With more people working remotely than in previous decades, it’s important to consider what remote workers want when showing homes to your clients. 

By focusing on homes with rooms that can be dedicated work areas and amenities that can help remote workers get outside and take breaks during the day, you’ll be able to find the perfect home for your clients.

For buyers on a budget who may not be able to afford extensive square footage, getting creative and showing them ways to work and live in multi-use spaces can help them see the potential of each home you show them.

8 tips for maximizing a listing’s square footage as an agent

by Luke Babich | Jun 11, 2025 | Industry, News Feed

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As mortgage rates remain high, many markets are slowing as buyers become more picky amid expensive borrowing costs. In this type of market, buyers have more leverage, and they may be looking to get more bang for their buck. 

It’s no wonder sellers are getting anxious. 88 percent of homeowners have significant fears about selling their home, but 73 percent believe an agent can deliver market value or higher for their property, according to a recent survey from our team.

Agents can help sellers get the most value for their property by presenting a sleek, appealing home that’s optimized every single square foot of space. A 2023 report found that 25 percent of recent buyers bought a smaller house than they’d planned, so the market for smaller homes is likely bigger than many sellers realize. 

Here are the best ways to help clients maximize their home’s square footage before hitting the market.

1. Stage for flow

Building an addition is the most obvious way to increase a home’s square footage, but it’s also the most expensive. It’s much more practical to work with the square footage that’s already there. Effective staging can make a space seem larger and more open just by removing distractions.

If your client has bulky furniture that makes the space feel smaller, explore the possibility of replacing it with pieces that have slimmer silhouettes. If they don’t want to purchase new furniture, most professional staging services have furniture to rent. 

Also think about how the furniture is arranged. Create lanes for convenient, natural movement, and use furniture to create focal areas. For example, cluster two chairs and an end table together to create a conversation spot. 

Finally, avoid pushing furniture against the walls. While this will leave the center of a room open, it can often make a space feel smaller and more cramped.

2. Feature the right size of appliance

A modestly sized kitchen can feel even smaller if your client has a lot of bulky appliances. Appliances that aren’t used enough to justify the counter space they take up should be removed, especially if they’re old. Taking out an old appliance can make a kitchen seem visually larger and add some much-needed counter space.

For vital appliances, such as stoves and refrigerators, there are slimline or apartment-sized models that are much more appropriate for small spaces. If your client can shrink their appliance footprint by half, the kitchen will feel twice as big.

3. Maximize natural light

If your client can’t expand the square footage of the home, help them present what they already have in the best possible light — literally. The more natural light in a space, the better. Remove heavy or obstructive window coverings, such as drapes or blinds, and trim exterior bushes, hedges or trees that might block the windows.

If your client has a budget for renovations, tell them to consider installing skylights or more windows. Even smaller pillbox windows can dramatically improve a space’s brightness, especially if it’s dark to begin with.

4. Encourage multipurpose rooms

Since the pandemic, buyers have been especially interested in multipurpose spaces that could serve as an office, workout room or guest bedroom. If your client has a spare bedroom, they could consider adding furniture to make it multifunctional. For example, a convertible sofa or Murphy bed could make a spare bedroom much easier to convert into a home office in a pinch.

Other rooms could also be candidates for conversion, especially rooms that may feel superfluous to today’s buyers. Formal dining rooms have fallen out of fashion in this more relaxed era of open floor plans. This room might have more appeal as a home office or gym. The same principle applies to formal living rooms or sitting rooms. If you have both, one is probably unnecessary.

5. Explore enclosing outdoor space

Another easy way for your client to add some usable square footage to their home is to enclose outdoor space. Screening in a porch or patio can provide a breezy, appealing space at a relatively low cost, compared to building a whole new addition.

6. Suggest pocket doors

In a small space, interior doors can contribute to a perception of visual clutter. They can also render the space behind them useless, shrinking an already modest space. Sliding pocket doors can have an outsized effect on a house, freeing up space and contributing to a cleaner, more minimalistic look.

7. Remind homeowners to declutter

One of the easiest ways to make a home look larger is to get rid of clutter. Before a home opens for showings, a general rule of thumb is to get rid of half of everything. Encourage them to put half their furniture into storage or more if they have a lot.

They should also remove excess bottles on bathroom counters, clothes in the closets and dishes in kitchen cupboards. Buyers almost always look into storage spaces, and if they’re cluttered, they’ll likely assume that the house doesn’t have enough storage.

8. Advise your client to update unfinished rooms

Most homes are priced by the square foot, so an unfinished basement, attic or garage apartment that could function as livable space can be an easy way to boost a home’s usable footage and its value. If a basement or attic can be easily and inexpensively converted into a living space, it’s a no-brainer to do so. 

Even smaller spaces, such as nooks under a staircase, can add real value and appeal once they’re converted into a closet or office space. On the other hand, if your client’s space requires serious renovations, there’s a cost-benefit calculation that you’ll want to advise them on.

Carefully go over relevant comps to determine how much value they might be able to add to their home through a conversion, and make sure they get several estimates from contractors so they get the best price.

Luke Babich is the CEO of Clever Real Estate in St. Louis. Connect with him on Facebook or Twitter.