If ArenaNet wants to continue drawing newcomers in and holding on to long time veterans, personal housing would be a plus. FFXIV has housing, BDO has housing, New World has housing, Elder Scrolls Online, ArcheAge, LotRO, and even Ultima Online had housing...and future competitors will have housing (coughAshesOfCreationcough coughPaliacough). That said, I don't see ANet ever adding in personal housing and if housing is truly important to the player, they can seek that feature in any of the competitors. I'm personally waiting on Ashes of Creation to drop as it seems to have everything ANet is offering and then some so once Verra opens up I won't be calling myself a Tyrian any longer.
GUILD WARS 1.
Ah, the best project ever birthed by ArenaNet. Pre-Searing is beautiful and still rather active to this day (though not as active as it was in its early life). I have a Perma-Pre character who still hangs out at the bottom of the stairs doing the swim and shooting the breeze with the other locals. Have a crap ton of birthday minis on that character too.
For me, it's worth having a Perma-Pre character if for no other reason than the heavy dose of nostalgia that tickles my dopamine receptors. Lol.