Nearly three-quarters of Americans consider IoT smart home technology when buying a new house, according to a survey by South Korean firm Samsung.

The SmartThings survey shows smart home devices are becoming increasingly important for people when they’re looking to relocate. Nearly 75% of people surveyed claim that IoT is an important factor when purchasing a new home, as smart home devices can lower bills, improve security and streamline various processes.

The pandemic forced many people to consider relocating and has caused demand for houses to skyrocket in the USA, reaching the highest level seen in years. The need for smart home devices also became more evident over the last year as a result.

Of those surveyed, 81% of people say they are familiar with connected technologies. And 75% said smart home capabilities were an important feature when looking for a place to live.

Smart home device costs have kept many potential buyers away, but as IoT becomes more mainstream – partly because more people are now working from home – residents, managers and landlords can benefit from these connected technologies.

The survey suggests that most people believe smart home devices are limited to smart lights and smart locks. However, smart homes and buildings can be equipped with the necessary IoT equipment to lower operation costs for residents and landlords. They can make home repairs easier thanks to SmartThings’ integration with Greystar, Entrata and Willow, and smart home appliances can be monitored and diagnosed remotely in real time.

Aside from the hardware itself, Samsung’s IoT platform continues improving with software updates. SmartThings Energy was released earlier this summer for users in the USA, and 61% of survey participants claim to have already saved money on utilities each month by using SmartThings technologies.

According to the survey, the most important smart home devices for IoT users are smart cameras, lights, appliances, speakers, plugs and smart locks. Meanwhile, the SmartThings Find network hosts 100 million find nodes and locates roughly 230,000 misplaced devices every day.