Dive Brief:

• Realtor.com has compiled its list of the 20 most popular home features, as well as some design homebuilders might want to kick to the curb. The online real estate company sorted through millions of home listings on its web site and came up with a list of the most commonly mentioned features.
• Fireplaces take Realtor.com’s top spot, with 23.8% of listings mentioning them. Wood flooring (15%), carpet (13%), granite counter tops (13%) and stainless steel (9%) appliances round out the top five.
• Vinyl siding and oak and cherry cabinets are the two least-mentioned features, a sign that it’s time to make a change to the popular fiber cement board and lighter maple cabinets, the real estate site noted.

Dive Insight:

Realtor.com's list is not necessarily a wish list of the latest trends in home features, but as the site noted, it shows what is currently featured in homes listed for sale. For example, according to architect Kimberly Bunn of Bunn Architecture, garden tubs have been on the decline for years now, although they show up as 20th on Realtor.com’s list. Open kitchen plans are decreasing in popularity as well, making way for a semi-closed, partition-at-will design, yet here they are at number 10.

Realtor.com analyst Javier Vivas said the list is not meant as a "barometer of trends," but rather of adoption cycles. "It’s more about how long it takes a particular new feature to become prevalent," he said in a statement. "It’s like car technology: First you see the cutting-edge stuff in luxury cars, then it spreads into the mainstream."

Last week, Zillow released its 2016 Zillow Digs Home Trend Forecast and said that simplicity is going to be on trend next year, with design elements like art deco patterns and shapes, wool rugs, encaustic tiles and artisan accent pieces.

The American Institute of Architects also recently released the results of its third-quarter Home Design Trends Survey and found that homeowners increasingly are choosing simple, contemporary home designs with low-maintenance features and front and side porches.

The complete 2015 Realtor.com list of popular features includes:

1. Fireplace
2. Wood floor
3. Carpet
4. Granite counters
5. Stainless steel appliances
6. Open floor plan
7. Walk-in closet
8. Formal dining room
9. Vaulted ceiling
10. Open kitchen
11. Tile floor
12. Covered patio
13. Finished basement
14. Breakfast bar
15. French doors
16. Chef’s kitchen
17. Crown molding
18. Central air
19. Separate shower
20. Garden tub