Voice Control: Coming Soon to a Home Near You

When you think about homes of the future, you might imagine a house you can talk to. A new survey from Coldwell Banker shows you're not alone; voice control capability was the top want of 72 percent of Americans surveyed.

The study, created in conjunction with Vivint Smart Home, focused on 4,108 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Out of these participants, 923 already utilize smart home products.

According to the study, 72 percent of Americans who already have smart home products – controlled by a smartphone, tablet, computer or by a separate automatic system– wish they had voice control. Out of that selection, 81 percent of American parents who have smart home products desire to control smart home products with voice activation. Sixty-five percent of parents with smart home products already have voice control on their devices.

Say What?

So what do Americans want to tell their homes to do? Start dinner? Crank up the heat? Bring them the paper and their slippers? According to the study, the top reason survey participants want to boss their house around is to optimize entertainment options. Think turning up the tunes, changing the channel or fiddling with that speaker system.

After entertainment, the study shows that consumers' voice-controlled wish list reads like this: lighting, security products and shopping, which all tied for 33 percent.

And Why?

So why exactly do we seem to want voice control? Thirty percent of those surveyed are interested in hands-free control; 17 percent find voice activation to be more user-friendly; 14 percent enjoy flexibility in location.

“We’ve been blown away with how consumers are unlocking the full potential of a voice-controlled smart home,” says Jeff Lyman, chief marketing officer for Vivint Smart Home. “By simply saying aloud what they want to happen with their locks, lights, thermostats and security system, customers spend more time living and less time managing. The experience is pretty magical.”

For full survey results, including demographic breakdowns of Americans with smart home products, click here.