Want to sell for top dollar this summer? Start with what’s in the backyard.
A new Realtor.com analysis shows the “pool premium” is more than a fleeting pandemic-era trend. While demand for pools exploded during COVID lockdowns, when backyards became sanctuaries, the data for April 2025 proves that pools still pack a serious pricing punch, even in today’s more balanced market.
If you’re working with sellers who have a pool—or buyers weighing the long-term value of one—here’s what you need to know.
Pools Still Command a Serious Premium
In April 2025, the median list price for a home with a pool was $599,000, compared to $389,000 for a home without. That’s a 54% premium.
While that’s down from the 61% peak in January 2022, it’s still well above pre-pandemic levels.
Even when adjusted for size (pool homes are typically 600 square feet larger), the price-per-square-foot premium remains clear:
- With pool: $247/sq. Ft.
- Without pool: $204/sq. ft.
Both segments of the market have appreciated since 2019, but homes with pools have appreciated slightly faster.
- Pool home values rose from $415,000 in 2019 to $599,000 in 2025 (+44.3%)
- Non-pool home values rose from $274,000 to $389,000 (+42.0%)
Pool Listings Are Surging—Especially in the South and West
April 2025 marked an all-time high for pool listings, with 333,000 homes marketing a pool feature. That represents 24.4% of all listings, the largest share ever recorded on Realtor.com.
Where are these homes located?
Highest share of pool listings:
- Miami, FL: 61.8%
- Phoenix, AZ: 58.4%
- Orlando, FL: 55.3%
- Austin, TX: 51.9%
- Tampa, FL: 47.6%
- Las Vegas, NV: 43.1%
- Riverside, CA: 41.0%
- Houston, TX: 38.8%
- San Diego, CA: 37.7%
- Los Angeles, CA: 36.0%
Biggest increases since 2019:
- Las Vegas, NV: +26.9% (from 16.2% in 2019 to 43.1% in 2025)
- Houston, TX: +18.3% (from 20.5% to 38.8%)
- Nashville, TN: +18.3% (from 7.2% to 25.5%)
- Indianapolis, IN: +14.7% (from 1.7% to 16.4%)
- Miami, FL: +12.3% (49.5% to 61.8%)
- Raleigh, NC: +9.6% (26.3% to 35.9%)
- Denver, CO: +9.0% (15.9% to 24.9%)
- Philadelphia, PA: +8.5% (8.5% to 17.0%)
- Phoenix, AZ: +8.4% (50.0% to 58.4%)
- Cincinnati, OH: +7.7% (5.0% to 12.7%)
Many of these metros have seen a construction boom over the past six years, which helps explain the surge in pool inventory, especially in areas where pools are commonly added to new builds or bundled into community amenities.
What This Means for Agents in 2025
The pandemic may be over, but the appetite for lifestyle-enhancing features hasn’t gone away.
What’s changed is the psychology of today’s buyer. In 2022, with scarce inventory and red-hot competition, buyers were ready to pay top dollar for extras like pools.
In 2025, with more options on the table, they’re looking for value.
That means the presence of a pool still adds upside, but sellers can’t assume it gives them unlimited pricing power.
Key Takeaways for Agents
- Don’t skip the pool in your listing strategy. Whether it’s private or part of a community, pools are still highly marketable features that support a higher asking price.
- Know your market. In warmer climates and fast-growing metros, pool homes are in higher supply and often priced more aggressively, so pricing competitively is crucial.
- Use size and layout to justify value. Pool homes are typically 32.4% larger, and size still matters when buyers calculate value per square foot.
- Educate sellers on realistic expectations. The days of bidding wars over backyard pools may be over, but smart pricing still allows pool homes to outperform.
- Frame the pool as a lifestyle asset. Use marketing language that sells the benefit—”a private resort,” “entertainment-ready,” or “your personal staycation zone.”
You don’t need a bidding war to win with a pool listing in 2025; you do need the right pricing strategy and marketing game plan.
Remind your sellers that in today’s market, value isn’t about hype; it’s about alignment. When you pair a desirable feature with smart strategy, everybody wins.
