At the 2025 CEDIA Town Hall meeting, held on Tuesday, Sept. 3, Daryl Friedman, global president and CEO of CEDIA, and Bill Darcy, global president and CEO of NKBA | KBIS, discussed the results of new, exclusive joint research between CEDIA and NKBA | KBIS about the evolving collaboration between the smart home and design and build communities.
Tricia Zach, director of research, NKBA, presented key findings of the U.S.-based research study examining the current state of technology integration in home design to the Town Hall attendees. She also highlighted how integrators can capitalize on the growing need for integrated tech in the design community, particularly in the whole home market.
According to 75% of respondents, homeowners are currently the driving force for smart home integration, illustrating a client-driven demand for increased partnership. Looking ahead, 61% of respondents indicated that integrated technology is a “must-have” feature of the future, echoing the need for collaboration to be a priority upfront.
“The future of tech integration is bright,” said Zach. “Right now, 36% of the NKBA audience sees integrated tech as a must-have. But looking ahead, that number jumps to 57% in just a few years. This growing expectation that integrated smart tech is going to play a significantly larger role in kitchen, bath, and whole home design is a really strong signal about where the market is headed.”
“You’re in the most rapidly evolving space, which makes your job more challenging,“ Darcy told attendees. “People aren’t looking for gimmicks. They want practical solutions that make everyday living easier, more efficient, and more connected.”
Other findings Zach presented include the use of scalable tech by designers when cost is a major factor, and how integrators can use earlier project collaboration to their advantage to help build repeat customer relationships.
While demand and expectation for smart home integrated tech are rising, the research showed an old foe still plagues CEDIA and custom integrators.
“The good news—and the bad news—is that this research is showing that the awareness level is the barrier,” said Friedman. “Once your clients and homeowners know what this [integration] is, and what it can do, and what technology can do for their homes, they want it and they want access to it. By increasing awareness, we’ll break that barrier.”
The full report is available at NKBA.org and CEDIA.org, with free access for NKBA members and CEDIA members.
