Indoor Air Quality as a Signal of Overall Home Health

“Indoor air quality plays a foundational role in occupant comfort, cognitive performance, and overall well-being, particularly in buildings where people spend the majority of their time indoors.” - International WELL Building Institute (WELL Building Standard)

I know, I know . . . by now we’re all aware of the importance of IAQ (IAQ).  Though IAQ is rarely a standalone issue.

When a home feels stale, heavy, overly dry, or artificially “fresh,” it’s usually not because of one bad filter or a missed cleaning. More often, it’s a signal—one of the few ways a home communicates how it has been built, maintained, and lived in over time.

For experienced real estate professionals, this matters. Because air quality doesn’t just affect comfort—it often reflects the underlying health of the home itself.

Air Quality Is a Lagging Indicator

In building science terms, IAQ is often a lagging indicator.  It doesn’t usually cause problems on its own—it reveals them.  Persistent air issues can point to:

  • deferred maintenance

  • moisture imbalance

  • poor ventilation design or habits

  • material off-gassing

  • inconsistent temperature control

  • or a home that has been sealed tightly without proper air exchange

In fact, according to the Building Biology Institute, indoor air quality reflects the cumulative impact of materials, ventilation, moisture, and how a space is lived in — not just the presence or absence of pollutants. 

This is why two homes with similar layouts, square footage, and finishes can feel completely different the moment you walk inside.  One supports ease. The other creates subtle resistance.

What Buyers Are Responding to (Even If They Don’t Say It)

Buyers don’t need to understand IAQ to react to it.  They respond to:

  • how long they want to stay in the space

  • whether the home feels calm or draining

  • how easily they can imagine everyday life there

When air quality is off, buyers often disengage early. They may still tour the home, but they become less emotionally available. Questions narrow. Curiosity fades. Confidence erodes.

From a Realtor’s perspective, this shows up as:

  • shorter walkthroughs

  • vague objections

  • lack of follow-up interest

  • or a quiet preference for “the other house,” even if it wasn’t objectively better

This is not irrational behavior. It’s physiological.

Why “Newer” Doesn’t Always Mean “Healthier”

One of the most common assumptions in real estate is that newer homes automatically have better air quality.  Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t.

Modern homes are built tighter for energy efficiency, which means less natural air exchange. Without intentional ventilation strategies and good living habits, pollutants and moisture can accumulate faster than in older homes.

This doesn’t mean older homes are better—it means air quality reflects systems thinking, not age alone.

Homes that feel good tend to have:

  • balanced airflow

  • consistent temperature and humidity

  • materials that don’t overpower the senses

  • and maintenance practices that support neutrality, not masking

Again, air quality is revealing the whole picture.

What Indoor Air Quality Often Reveals to a Trained Eye

For Real Estate Professionals willing to observe instead of diagnose, air quality can hint at:

  • Moisture management: condensation, mustiness, or dryness

  • Maintenance patterns: filter changes, cleaning habits, deferred repairs

  • Material choices: paints, flooring, cabinetry, furnishings

  • Ventilation behavior: window use, exhaust fan use, airflow balance

None of this requires technical measurements to notice. It requires awareness.

The goal isn’t to label a home as “good” or “bad.”
It’s to understand how the home functions as a lived environment.

A More Professional Way to Frame This With Clients

The most effective Real Estate Professionals don’t explain air quality—they contextualize comfort.  Instead of pointing out issues, they ask better questions and set expectations.

Examples:

  • “How does the home feel to you so far?”

  • “Do you notice how calm or quiet this space is?”

  • “Some buyers are sensitive to how air and temperature feel—what stands out to you here?”

These questions help validate buyer experience, build trust, and keep the agent in an advisory role rather than a defensive one.  They also give sellers clearer insight into why preparation matters beyond appearance.

Why This Matters for Listings and Long-Term Trust

According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Healthy Buildings Program, research in healthy buildings consistently shows that air quality influences how people think, feel, and perform — often before they consciously recognize it.  This is true in both commercial and residential buildings.

IAQ isn’t a checkbox.  It’s part of how homes communicate health, care, and livability.  And for professionals who know how to read those signals, it becomes a quiet but powerful advantage.                                             

Homes that support comfort tend to:

  • hold buyer attention longer

  • create stronger emotional attachment

  • inspire confidence in decision-making

And Real Estate Professionals who acknowledge these invisible factors tend to:

  • build deeper client trust

  • earn more referrals

  • age better in the market as buyer expectations evolve


Your Next Step

If you want a simple way to evaluate homes through this lens—without technical overwhelm—I’m building the Healthy Home Checklist as a practical framework for Real Estate Professionals and homeowners.

It’s designed to help you observe air, light, comfort, materials . . . and translate those observations into better conversations and better outcomes.  (You’ll see more on that soon.)

Final Thought

Air quality doesn’t just affect how a home feels today. It tells a story about how that home has been lived in.

And stories matter—especially in real estate.

Back to Wellness Real Estate Blogs