According to Realtor.com’s new Hottest Home Trends 2025 report, real estate listings mentioning WaterSense® fixtures skyrocketed by 289.6% year-over-year—by far the fastest-growing home feature cited by sellers and agents.
While these features still appear in a minority of listings, the rate of increase tells the real story: water efficiency has crossed the threshold from “nice sustainability bonus” to mainstream market signal, showing up in listing descriptions because buyers are increasingly filtering for it.
Realtor.com attributes this surge to the “AI-driven race” that’s accelerating data transparency around home performance. But the underlying driver is simpler: water is becoming an imperative for homebuyers who have become increasingly cognizant of water availability and quality issues.
COGNITION Smart Data shows that today’s buyers aren’t just interested in water performance, they’re willing to invest in it. According to a recent survey, over 80% of consumers say they will pay more for water-efficient, low-flow fixtures. 75% of building professionals report the same from their clients.
This data aligns with growing concerns about water scarcity, rising utility bills, and climate-driven extremes, especially in Western and Sunbelt states where water availability increasingly affects insurance, mortgage risk, and overall cost of ownership.
In a housing market where affordability remains strained, water performance has become a clear pathway to lowering monthly operating costs.
Since the program’s launch in 2006, WaterSense fixtures have helped save nearly 10 trillion gallons of water and $245 billion in water and energy bills, according to the EPA. More than 45,000 products now carry the label, which have collectively led to the reduction of approximately 380 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
As water and energy costs continue to rise, the assurance provided by third-party certifications like WaterSense is becoming essential for both buyers and builders.
“When you build with WaterSense-labeled products, you’re giving buyers a clear, verifiable signal that their home will perform, save them money, and stand up to growing water and energy costs,” says Tom Palkon, Chief Technical Services Officer of IAPMO, which has been a licensed provider of WaterSense certification since the program’s
Green Builder Media and IAPMO have teamed up to release a free downloadable ebook that walks you through how to use IAPMO's revolutionary Water Demand Calculator. Click here to download the ebook.