Redfin has introduced a new feature called Sunscore that assigns every home listed on its platform a natural light rating from 0 to 100, giving buyers a data-driven picture of how much sunlight a property receives before they ever schedule a showing.
The tool, developed in partnership with Shadowmap, a company that builds interactive 3D sun-path visualisation and shadow analysis technology, calculates each home’s score based on the property’s three-dimensional geometry and the shadows cast by surrounding terrain, trees, and buildings at various points throughout the day and across different seasons. A score of 80, for example, is rated “super sunny,” indicating minimal shadow obstruction throughout the day. A lower score signals that a home may sit in shade for significant portions of the day, particularly in winter months.
For Seattle-area homebuyers, the feature arrives with particular relevance. The Pacific Northwest’s long grey winters make natural light one of the most coveted features in residential real estate, and buyers in the region have long struggled to assess how a home’s sun exposure shifts between a bright July afternoon and a typical November morning. Sunscore is designed to answer that question with data rather than guesswork.
The demand for this kind of information is well-documented. A recent Redfin survey found that nearly 70% of people say the amount of sunlight in their home affects their satisfaction with their living situation, and 11% describe it as non-negotiable when searching for a property. Beyond mood and aesthetics, natural light also has financial implications. A home’s Sunscore can signal its solar energy potential, which could translate into thousands of dollars in annual savings for homeowners who invest in solar panels.
“We know from customer feedback that sunlight is a priority for house hunters,” said Ariel Dos Santos, Redfin’s Chief Product and Design Officer. “Sunscore gives home searchers that information upfront in a simple-to-understand way.” Georg Molzer, CEO of Shadowmap, added that the tool brings clarity to a question that has long been difficult for buyers to answer. “Sunlight availability is often uncertain when purchasing or renting a property, especially across different seasons,” Molzer said.
Sunscore is now available on all for-sale listings on Redfin.com, with an app rollout for iPhone and Android planned later this year. It joins a suite of property-level data tools Redfin already offers, including climate risk data covering flood, fire, heat, wind, and air quality, as well as walkability and transit access scores.
