Summer 2025 is on the horizon and, with it, a mixed-bag housing market brimming with a bevy of homes listed to make buyers’ dreams come true. However, in a market where there are roughly 500,000 more home sellers than buyers, it can be difficult to know how to make your property stand out to the masses. According to new Zillow research, though, it could be as simple as updating your home’s color scheme.
To determine the effect of paint choices on home desirability, Zillow’s behavioral science team surveyed more than 4,200 recent and prospective home buyers around the country. Each participant was shown a random assortment of homes with interiors painted in one of 10 popular colors. They then rated each home for how much they liked it visually, their likelihood of touring and buying it, and how much they’d be willing to purchase it for. In the process, Zillow uncovered that two paint colors reigned above the rest.
“Nearly one-third of all homeowners paint their home before listing it for sale, but sellers can earn top dollar when they pick the right colors,” the paint color analysis press release reads. This year, those colors are dark olive green and rich navy blue. Specifically, Zillow reports that buyers would pay $1,597 more for a home with an olive green kitchen, and $1,815 more for a home with a navy blue bedroom.
“Buyers view olive green and navy blue as contemporary colors, and that can have a halo effect on their perception of the entire home,” Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home trends expert, said in the release. “These shades of blue and green are associated with organic modernism, a value-driving aesthetic that incorporates sustainable materials like wood and stone. These nature-inspired colors evoke the same feelings of serenity and tranquility.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Zillow found that some colors come with a major home price slice. “Recent and prospective buyers would pay nearly $4,000 less for a home with a daisy yellow kitchen ($3,915 less) or living room ($3,891 less),” the report reveals. “They would pay nearly $2,000 less for a home with a fire hydrant red living room ($1,820 less) or bedroom ($1,987 less).”
As fascinating as these finds are, Zillow encourages sellers to take a beat before rushing to paint their home. “Homeowners should consult with a trusted local real estate agent for advice on what buyers are looking for in their particular neighborhood,” the report emphasizes.
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