2025 Home Services Marketing Study

Introduction

Demand for home services continues to be heavily affected by the effects of inflation and high interest rates. To better understand the current environment, Tinuiti surveyed 1,000 US homeowners in February 2025 on what their expectations for home services spending this year look like, which services they’re most likely to spend on, and how potential declines in mortgage rates might influence their plans. The 2025 Home Services Marketing Study covers all of these areas and dives deep into the channels and platforms that are most important to homeowners.

Homeowners Spent Less on Improvements in the Last Year as Interest Rates and Inflation Delayed Projects and Drove Up DIY

Asked how their spending had changed in the last year compared to the year prior in the areas of home maintenance, repair, and improvement services, the most popular answer for all three was that spending in these areas stayed about the same. However, a greater share of respondents say they spent more on repair and maintenance than those who spent less, while the opposite was true for home improvement services.

In the past year did you spend more, less, or about the same on home repair/maintenance/ improvement services companies than the year before?

Gen Z and millennials are the most likely to report increasing their spending on home repairs with 44% doing so in the past year, compared to just 30% among older generations. Only 27% of Gen Z and millennials say they spent more on home improvement projects, however, while 29% say they spent less.

How have high interest rates and/or inflation impacted your home services spending in the following areas over the last year?

These results align with how respondents say that high interest rates and/or inflation specifically impacted their home services spending over the last year. Overall, 40% of respondents say that interest rates/inflation resulted in their spending more on home repairs and maintenance over the last year, compared to just 28% who say the same about home improvements.

Digging deeper into the impact of high interest rates and/or inflation, more than 60% of respondents say that they’re taking on more home projects themselves. The majority, 54%, also say they’re delaying some home projects, and the same share indicate that they’re staying in their existing home longer than they’d like.

Are you doing any of the following because of high interest rates and/or inflation? (Share saying ‘yes’ to each)

Gen Z and millennials are particularly likely to report being stuck in their current homes due to high interest rates and/or inflation with 60% saying so, compared to 47% of older respondents. The younger generations are less likely to delay home projects but instead are more likely to take on more of the work themselves.

2025 Home Improvement Spending Is Expected To Hold Steady, but Maintenance and Repairs Are Set To Grow

Asked how they anticipate their 2025 home services spending to change relative to 2024, about the same number of respondents expect to spend more on improvements as expect to spend less. In the areas of repair and maintenance, however, many more respondents expect to spend more this year than expect to spend less.

Relative to 2024, how much do you expect to spend on the following areas in 2025?

Younger respondents have the most optimistic outlook on their home services spending for 2025, with 43% of Gen Z and millennials expecting to spend more on home repairs, 34% expecting to spend more on home improvements, and 35% expecting to spend more on home maintenance. That compares to 32% of older respondents expecting to spend more on home repairs, 28% expecting to spend more on home improvements, and 26% expecting to spend more on home maintenance.

If interest/mortgage rates come down significantly over the next year, which of the following are you more likely to do?

The ultimate trajectory of interest/mortgage rates will be very important to how homeowners approach home improvement projects over the next year. While just 31% expect to spend more on home improvements in 2025 regardless of changes in interest rates, that share jumps to 46% if interest rates come down significantly. Among those who do intend to spend more if rates go down, there are nearly twice as many who intend to stay in their homes as those who intend to sell their homes.

Asked which types of home projects they’re interested in using home services providers for in 2025, respondents most commonly selected necessary maintenance, followed by projects that enhance the value of the home.

Among those who would look to invest more in home improvement projects if interest rates come down, respondents looking to stay in their homes are more likely to say that they’re interested in hiring for necessary home maintenance with 57% selecting that option, compared to just 46% of those looking to sell their home. Those looking to sell are a bit more inclined to make improvements that would enhance the value of their home than those looking to stay, with 44% of the former group choosing that option compared to 42% of the latter.

Which of the following types of home projects are you interested in using a home services provider for in 2025? Select all that apply.

While at least 20% of respondents say they’re interested in using a home services provider in 2025 for every type of project included in the survey, the least popular project types are those that would make homes more eco-friendly. Eco-friendly projects held greater appeal among the younger generations, though, with 29% of Gen Z and millennials interested in hiring a provider for them, compared to just 17% of older homeowners.

Online Reviews Are Especially Important for Younger Generations When Hiring Home Services Providers

Asked to select the three most important qualities of home services providers for hiring decisions, respondents most commonly selected that the company is licensed and insured and has the best prices. Having good online reviews came in third and was the only other quality to be selected by at least 30% of respondents.

Of the following, select the three most important qualities of a home services company to your decision to hire them:

For most home services shoppers, it’s not particularly important for providers to be nationally recognized brands. In fact, more than twice as many respondents say that a business being locally owned is a top three quality for them compared to those who say the same about businesses being nationally recognized.

Among Gen Z and millennials, having good online reviews was the most commonly selected important quality of home services companies, just outpacing having the best prices. Being licensed and insured placed third among the younger generations, but was only chosen by 37% of them, compared to 46% of Gen X and older respondents. Older respondents were also much more likely to select being locally owned as one of the most important qualities of a home services provider.

Do you prefer to work with a single home services provider for multiple services or to find a specialist for each area of need?

Two other considerations homeowners have when choosing a home services provider are whether that company is a specialist (or provides multiple services) and whether the company offers a subscription model. Overall, 58% of respondents prefer a specialist for each area of need, while the remainder prefer the simplicity of working with a single provider for multiple services.

For home services in the following areas that will occur more than once, do you prefer to sign up for a subscription or to schedule these services as you need them? (Among respondents who do hire home services companies for each type of service)

For home services that are repeated regularly, the popularity of subscription plans varies significantly by the type of project. For respondents who hire for housecleaning services, 44% prefer a subscription plan, which is twice the 22% share of respondents who hire for HVAC services who prefer subscription plans.

Women are More Likely To Rely on Endorsements From Friends and Family While Men Are More Drawn to Nationally Recognized Brands

Among respondents who live with a spouse or partner, 45% say they typically make decisions on who to hire for home services themselves, the same share who say that they make these decisions together with their spouse/partner. However, men are much more likely to say they make such decisions themselves, while women are much more likely to say they make these decisions with their partner.

In your household, who typically makes the decisions on who to hire for home services? (Among respondents who live with a spouse/partner)

There is also a significant difference in approach to decision making for different generations of homeowners, as younger respondents are much more likely than older generations to say that they typically make hiring decisions themselves. This dynamic exists for both male and female respondents but is much more pronounced for men than it is for women.

Share who say they typically make the decisions on who to hire for home services themselves (Among respondents who live with a spouse/partner)

The three most commonly selected top qualities of home services providers are the same across men and women, as consumers, perhaps unsurprisingly, care about businesses being licensed/insured and having good prices and reviews regardless of gender.

However, there are some differences in how likely men and women are to select other qualities as important. Men are more likely to say that it’s important for a home services provider to be a nationally recognized brand and to be able to do the job quickly, while women are more likely to say that free estimates and endorsements from friends/family are important.

Of the following, select the three most important qualities of a home services company to your decision to hire them:

Streaming Video Lags Television for Home Services Provider Discovery Overall, but the Two Are Equally Influential for Gen Z and Millennials

When it comes to discovering home services providers, search engines and social media are the clear top channels, highlighting the importance of digital to reaching home services customers.

Where do you recall first seeing or hearing about a home services provider that you used in the past year? Select all that apply. (Top 14 overall responses)

Television is the third most common source for provider discovery, selected by 20% of respondents. That outpaces the 15% of all respondents who selected streaming video services, but streaming video services matched traditional television at 21% across Gen Z and millennials combined.

Similarly, while traditional radio is slightly more popular as a discovery channel than streaming audio across all respondents, the reverse is true among younger generations. For Gen Z and millennials, 13% discover home services providers on traditional radio, while 14% do the same on streaming audio services and 11% do so on podcasts.

Gen Z and millennials are much more likely to discover home services providers on social media than older generations and show significant differences in the specific platforms where they are most likely to do so.

On which social media platform do you most often discover new home services providers? (Top 10 overall responses among those who discover home services providers on social media)

Among respondents who discover home services providers on social media, just 9% of Gen Z and millennials do so most frequently on Nextdoor, compared to 17% among older generations. While Facebook is the top choice for both groups, 34% of Gen Z and millennials chose it, compared to 38% of Gen X and older homeowners.

Search engines and social media are also the top two responses when it comes to where homeowners start actively searching for home services providers online, though the share of respondents who selected search engines is triple the share who selected social media platforms. Review sites came in third followed by online discussion forums, as many homeowners immediately seek out reviews and online discussion in the search for providers.

When looking to hire a home services company, where do you typically start an online search?

While AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Perplexity fall outside of the top 15 for home services provider discovery, they were the first choice for starting a home services provider search for 7% of all respondents. AI chatbots were selected by 5% of Gen X and older respondents as the place they would start a search for home services providers, but that share jumps to 9% across Gen Z and millennials.

Homeowners are Most Likely to Turn to Google for Home Services Provider Reviews, but Nextdoor and Reddit Play a Meaningful Role

Given that having good online reviews was the third most commonly selected top quality of a home services provider, it’s crucial for marketers to understand where consumers are going to find those reviews. Google was by far the most commonly selected platform, followed by Facebook. As such, traditional search engines and social media win out across provider discovery, search, and reviews.

When looking for reviews of home services companies online, which of the following do you consult? Select all that apply. (Top 12 overall responses among respondents who look online for reviews)

Message boards like Nextdoor and Reddit are also playing a meaningful role in surfacing home services provider reviews for many homeowners and were selected by 22% and 17% of respondents who look online for reviews, respectively.

While it may be seen by many as a relic of the past, the Better Business Bureau continues to be a meaningful source of information for consumers looking to vet businesses, and was selected by 19% of respondents, including 23% of Gen X and older respondents.

Under which circumstances have you left an online review or otherwise provided public feedback for a home services provider? Select all that apply.

Asked under which circumstances they’ve left online reviews or other public feedback of home services providers, respondents were much more likely to choose positive interactions than negative. For example, 49% left reviews if the quality of work was very good, but just 24% did so if the quality of the work was poor. This dynamic extends across pricing, communication, and the speed of work. Only 20% say that they never leave reviews or provide public feedback for home services providers.

Sentiment of reasons given for leaving an online review or otherwise providing public feedback for a home services provider. (Among respondents who have provided public feedback)

Among respondents who have left reviews or otherwise provided public feedback for a home services provider, 44% only cited positive reasons for doing so. Another 37% cited a mix of positive and negative reasons, while just 12% cited only negative reasons. A small group, 8%, did not pick a specific reason, either positive or negative.

Springtime Is Important for Hiring Home Services Providers, but Demand Is Still Very Much Spread Out Through the Year

One third of all respondents say they very often or always seek out a new home services provider even for work that they’ve had completed by a provider in the past, a rate that jumps to 54% among Gen Z. This presents a significant opportunity for home services providers to get discovered by new customers, particularly younger ones.

When hiring for a job such as lawn care, plumbing, or HVAC services that you’ve had completed by a home services provider in the past, how frequently do you consider a new provider for similar work rather than using the provider you’ve worked with previously? (Share who say ‘very often’ or ‘always’)

In terms of when homeowners say they typically search for providers in eight different service categories, the spring period between April and June is the most popular among those who do typically search for these companies in a specific time frame.

For the following home services, when do you typically search for providers in the following industries? (Among respondents who do hire home services companies for each type of service)

At the same time, lawn care is the only category of service for which the share of respondents who selected April through June is larger than the share who selected no specific time frame, as the search for home services providers is often spread out throughout the year for homeowners. Gutter cleaning and pool care are toward the more seasonal end of the spectrum with lawn care, while housecleaning and plumbing are the least seasonal services.

For seasonal home maintenance services like lawn care or HVAC, how far in advance of the job being done do you prefer to book a service provider? (Among respondents who say they hire seasonal home services providers)

Over 60% of respondents who use seasonal home services providers prefer to book more than a week in advance, with 28% preferring to do so at least a month in advance. Homeowners who say they hire a professional for nearly all home repairs, maintenance, and improvements are the most likely to book a seasonal service early, with 44% preferring to do so at least a month in advance.

How do you prefer to communicate with a home services provider?

For both booking and communicating after an appointment has been scheduled, respondents most prefer speaking over the phone. However, the popularity of communicating by text message jumps considerably from 9% who prefer to book an appointment using this method of communication to 25% who prefer it for communicating after an appointment has been made.

How do you prefer to schedule an appointment with a home services provider?

Scheduling a home service is something younger generations are still willing to make a phone call for as it is the preferred method of communication for 42% of Gen Z and millennials. That share tops all other methods of communication, but still lags the 54% of Gen X and older respondents who prefer to book over the phone. Younger generations are more inclined to schedule an appointment online than older generations with 27% preferring that method among Gen Z and millennials, compared to 18% among Gen X and older homeowners.