When viewing properties for sale, potential home buyers may now be joined by an extra set of eyes and ears. As agents, we’re seeing a sharp rise in smart home technology and buyers need to be aware that new surveillance systems–“nanny-cams” and other in-home “smart” systems–may be documenting their walk-throughs.

For now, the upper hand seems to go the seller. Homeowners can learn valuable information about what potential buyers don’t like and make changes accordingly. They also feel better about tighter security if there are valuable items in the home. In Missouri, homeowners are legally permitted to make this type of recording and use information acquired during the surveillance–perhaps at the potential buyer’s disadvantage.

With this in mind, we remind our clients not to divulge how much they love a home until we are in an unmonitored space. If the buyer’s enthusiasm is overheard, it could reduce their leverage; an “informed” seller may not be as willing to bargain to make the deal happen.

Smart technology can be a wonderful amenity, but our job is to help buyers be a just a little smarter. Keeping “critically extreme” comments to a minimum (about features that are loved or hated) puts buyers in the best position to negotiate for their perfect CWE home.