With the explosive growth of pickleball, and the increasing demand for more courts, it is no surprise that the sport is gaining popularity as a desirable real estate feature. In addition to the right number of bedrooms and bathrooms, high ceilings, and open concepts, house hunters are also looking for proximity to pickleball courts!
Pickleball courts are becoming an attractive selling point for real estate, as the sport has exploded in appeal to people of all demographics. Pickleball has even been noted as a feature of the new “pad” for NFL star Travis Kelce (i.e., Taylor Swift’s new love interest), and a pickleball court can even breathe life into some homes that may be lacking in curb appeal.
According to Zillow (the popular real estate app), there has been a 100% increase in the property listings on their brand StreetEasy that tout their proximity to public or private pickleball courts. Further, Zillow has seen a 64% increase in pickleball-related mentions in listings compared to the previous year. Joy Kim Metalios, a Zillow Premier Agent partner, stated that, “Pickleball courts have become a great selling feature because they appeal to athletes of all ages… 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. 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.”
With that said, if you can find a way to navigate the issues around noise to placate the neighbors, then you may want to consider finding a way to add a pickleball court to your property, development, or neighborhood. It may not only improve your quality of life—with better access and ability to play pickleball—but it may also improve your property value.
Photo credits: Zillow
