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Five Things Builders Should Know About Home Technology
By Keith Davis, Residential Technologies, Inc.
 To the unitiated or those considering adding home technology features and options to their new-home selections, home technology can seem rather daunting. But it need not be.
The following are five simple things builders should know about home technology to help ease them into this growing opportunity in housing:
- Builders should embrace home technology as the next big thing in the new home market. It is a highly-desired product and service in demand by tech-savvy home buyers.
- Home technology can be a profit center for builders, but builders should price home technology options and features reasonably. Pricing them artificially high will drive the sale and home buyer to a retailer or electronics systems contractor (ESC) after move-in and effectively cut the builder out of the picture entirely.
- Home technology requires a more professional sales and installation model than any other upgrade or product builders currently sell. Make sure the installer has the capability to install and service the technology to the customer’s satisfaction.
- Home technology is not rocket science and should never be presented as such to the builder or the home buyer. Home technology is cool, unique, wonderful and fun, but it does not have to be difficult to explain. If the features and functions demonstrated are too difficult to understand, the builder should find another ESC who can make it simple for both the builder and his buyers.
- Home technology can get wrapped up in jargon and “standards” that make no sense to the majority of builders and home buyers. Look for an ESC who can speak in language that is easy to understand. Most likely, they will communicate with customers the same way.
The Home Technology Alliance is a partnership between NAHB and the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA), an international trade association of companies that specialize in designing and installing electronic systems for the home, to meet the growing consumer demand for home technology — from home theaters and electronic gaming to home security and home health care.
The partnership taps CEDIA’s expertise in applications and NAHB members’ knowledge of the new-home and remodeling markets to offer consumers new choices in home automation that can improve their quality of life.Keith Davis is president of Charlotte, N.C.-based Residential Technologies, Inc., an electrical systems contractor with more than 25 years experience in the electrical, security and home technology industry. His firm is dedicated to lighting control, renewable energy, specialty electrical systems and energy management and control. He participates in the Home Technology Alliance and is an NAHB member.
 CEDIA: A Source for Experienced ESCs
The Custom Electronic Design Installation Association (CEDIA) is a founding sponsor in the Home Technology Alliance and an international trade association of companies that specialize in designing and installing electronic systems for the home.
CEDIA members are established and insured businesses with bona fide qualifications and experience in this field. CEDIA serves as a source for Electronic Systems Contractors (ESCs).
For more information on CEDIA, visit the association’s Web site at www.cedia.org. To find an ESC, click here.
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