Home listings mentioning pickleball courts and golf simulators have each jumped 25% over the past year, while mentions of traditional man caves have fallen 10%, according to Zillow’s newly released 2026 Home Trends Report.
The findings, drawn from an analysis of millions of for-sale listings, point to a broader shift in how American homeowners want to use their indoor and outdoor space.
Active spaces replace the old rec room
Mentions of man caves in listings are down 10% year over year, as homeowners turn their rec rooms into activity hubs, with golf simulators and pickleball courts each appearing 25% more often on Zillow.
Batting cages also showed growth, with 18% more mentions, underscoring a shift toward active, personalized play at home.
Zillow’s home trends expert, Amanda Pendleton, said listing language offers a direct window into buyer psychology. “Real estate agents have a front-row seat to what today’s buyers want most, and that’s reflected in the way they describe homes online,” said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home trends expert. “Listing descriptions are short, so every word counts.”
Color and craftsmanship take over interiors
The report, based on an analysis of listing language published by Zillow, also found a dramatic swing toward bold interior design choices.
The research draws from millions of for-sale listings on Zillow, revealing which features are appearing more often and which trends are fading, offering a peek into how Americans want to live, relax and future-proof their homes.
Color drenching, the practice of painting an entire room including walls, trim, ceilings and furniture in a single hue, saw the sharpest rise of any trend tracked, with mentions up 149% year over year. Artisan, vintage and whimsical styles are also making waves.
That pattern echoes a wider embrace of personalization that is reshaping everything from wall color to backyard amenities, a shift that fits into broader patterns of handmade and personalized decor gaining traction with younger buyers.
Wellness and disaster readiness gain ground too
Beyond color and sport, the data shows homeowners prioritizing self-care spaces inside the house. Wellness continues to drive home upgrades, with mentions of wellness features rising 33% and spa-inspired bathrooms appearing 22% more often on Zillow.
These spaces are designed to deliver a daily dose of relaxation, blending luxury with well-being.
Climate and safety concerns are also showing up more often in how homes are marketed. Fire safety features are increasingly highlighted in listings, including defensible space landscaping (36% more) and fire protection systems (28% more).
Sustainability has become a selling point, with sharp increases in mentions of zero-energy-ready homes (up 70%), whole-home batteries (up 40%) and electric vehicle charging (up 25%). Broad descriptors like “sustainable” or “green” are also appearing 21% more often.
What is falling out of favor
Not every home feature is seeing a renaissance. Juice stations, once a beloved, wellness-centric upgrade, are down 19 percent in Zillow mentions. Marble sinks are down 15 percent, likely because they’re high maintenance and hard to clean.
The shift away from generic entertainment spaces toward specific, personalized activities mirrors changes seen in how Americans spend their free time more broadly, a pattern also visible in recent consumer dining and lifestyle data.
Zillow’s report is compiled annually by analyzing keyword frequency across its for-sale listing database, offering real estate agents and builders an early signal of which amenities buyers are actively searching for as the 2026 selling season approaches.
