The “not in my backyard!” mentality we’ve seen countless communities take up against pickleball and its noise doesn’t seem to phase homebuyers.
In the housing market, pickleball has instead become a feature, not a detraction, from a home’s worth.
Zillow, the home buying, selling, and renting website, just dropped its 2024 Hottest Home Trends report, which examined about 300 home features and design styles mentioned in for-sale listing descriptions on Zillow.
They identified keywords showing up far more frequently than they did a year ago…lo and behold, pickleball made the list.
This fast-paced paddle sport is becoming a sought-after amenity in backyards and neighborhoods. In New York City, StreetEasy is seeing a 100% increase in the share of for-sale listings highlighting a home’s proximity to public or private pickleball courts. Nationwide, pickleball references are up 64% on Zillow compared to last year. – Zillow report
“Pickleball courts have become a great selling feature because they appeal to athletes of all ages,” says Joy Kim Metalios, a Zillow Premier Agent.
“I’ve seen homeowners converting their driveways into courts by using portable nets. Players with ultra-luxury homes are painting new pickleball lines on their sport courts or tennis courts.
Related: Pickleball is Getting Dangerous
"Since pickleball is such a social sport, an at-home court has become the latest entertaining feature, like an outdoor kitchen or a pizza oven.”
Tips for pickleball-loving home buyers
Now that the housing market is catching on to pickleball-as-a-feature, finding something that either has or is close to a court may become challenging.
Metalios suggests those looking to add a pickleball court to their own space should keep an eye out for other keywords in listings:
- Basketball courts: even a half-court may be placed in an area where there’s enough space for a full pickleball court to replace it.
- Tennis courts: whether the property in question has its own tennis court or is close to a municipal or school court, consider the possibility of buying a pickleball net (see our nets here) and some tape.
- Squash: you won’t see in-home squash courts as often as you will basketball or tennis, but it is a popular pastime in some areas. Regardless, these spaces transition easily for pickleball.
“There’s lots of spaces where one could place a court,” Metalios says. “You just have to keep an eye out.”
