Zillow: Backyard Pickleball is a Big Real Estate Trend
Last Edited
Jun 06 2024
Category
News
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.”