NEW RESEARCH
September 2026
The transaction experience buyers want now Our survey of recent home buyers identifies a problem, and points the way towards the solution.
Introduction We’ve known it forever: The home buying transaction process is often an uncoordinated mess that strains people unnecessarily at a critical moment in their lives. HomeServices of America was founded and built on the belief that we can and should do better. The idea of bundling real estate brokerage, mortgage, insurance and title services is not new. Consumer interest in this idea has been strong for decades. Yet the reality persists: Most home buyers are left to project manage a disparate team of service providers that often communicate poorly. Accountability is splintered. Many view this as a technology problem. Very large companies, newly empowered by artificial intelligence, are attacking it from this angle. Technology is part of the answer, but only gives people a half-measure of what they really want: A transaction experience supported by technology, but powered by people — professionals who work together, as a team, to help them reach their goal. Meeting this desire is one of our industry’s most exciting opportunities. The research below, based on a survey of 1,000 recent home buyers across the country, makes that very clear. We have a mandate. Fulfilling it will require more than yesterday’s “one-stopshop” efforts, or the compression of one of life’s defining experiences into an app. It means rethinking the home buying transaction experience entirely, and finding the balance between technology and humanity that serves people best.
We have a mandate. Fulfilling it will require more than yesterday’s “one-stop-shop” efforts, or the compression of one of life’s defining experiences into an app.
Executive Summary
Almost 7 in 10 recent buyers found the transaction experience to be a “hassle”.
Our research finds that a large majority of buyers begin their journey expecting their agent to coordinate the array of service providers involved in their transaction. And while nearly all value service provider recommendations from their agent, the expectation of a coordinated experience is almost always met with disappointment. Almost 7 in 10 recent buyers found the transaction experience to be a “hassle”. “Uncoordinated service providers” drives this sentiment by a factor of more than two-toone over any other consideration. Almost 9 in 10 find the idea of an integrated transaction experience where their agent, mortgage provider, home insurance company, and title company work as a coordinated team appealing. And while some would prefer such an experience to be largely digital, most express a desire for a hybrid that is “led by people but supported by an app or website”.
The transaction experience buyers want now SEPTEMBER 2026
Findings
01
02
Most recent buyers thought their transaction was a “hassle”; the culprit is uncoordinated services
Most people begin their home buying process expecting their agent to coordinate service providers.
03
04
An overwhelming majority of buyers want an integrated transaction experience
Technology is a key supporting player, not the star
The transaction experience buyers want now SEPTEMBER 2026
01
Most recent buyers thought their transaction was a “hassle”; the culprit is uncoordinated services 20% of people thought the process was “very much” of a hassle; another 50% thought it was “somewhat” of a hassle. This sentiment deepens as income increases. An uncoordinated agent, mortgage, insurance and title experience was
Did you find the homebuying transaction process to be a hassle?
What was the biggest hassle?
the top driver of this sentiment — by far. We have identified a problem, and have a clear signal as to what is driving it.
Yes, very much so
21%
Yes, somewhat
49%
No, not really
26%
No, not at all
4%
Uncoordinated service providers (real estate agent, mortgage provider, insurance company, title/closing company)
46%
Searching for a home online
26%
Touring homes
17%
Communicating with my agent
8%
Other
3%
The transaction experience buyers want now SEPTEMBER 2026
02
Most people begin their home buying process expecting their agent to coordinate service providers. 28% expected this very strongly and another 41% expected it to some degree, bringing the combined expectation level to 69%. Only 32% did not really expect, or did not expect at all, that their agent would coordinate mortgage, title, and home insurance providers. Experience tells us that this expectation is left unmet most of the time. Failing to meet an expectation early on in any client relationship is never desirable, especially in a high-stakes endeavor like home buying.
recommendations from their agent found them to be very helpful or valuable. Only 5% did not value these recommendations. When asked in an open-ended question why they found these recommendations valuable, 19% emphasized time-saving assistance, while 13% pointed to the agent’s expertise and 12% to trust in the agent’s advice. 11% said this assistance was helpful for first-time buyers. Rather than seeing referrals as a sales push, many buyers framed them as a practical shortcut that reduced uncertainty.
Notably, almost all recent buyers valued an agent’s recommendations for mortgage, insurance and title providers. 47% who received
The pattern is clear: Agent recommendations are a win, but the experience that follows often disappoints.
Agent recommendations are a win, but the experience that follows often disappoints
The transaction experience buyers want now SEPTEMBER 2026
Did you go into your home purchase experience thinking that it was your real estate agent’s job to coordinate the mortgage, title/closing, and home insurance providers in the transaction?
Yes, very much so
28%
Yes, to a degree
41%
No, not really
22%
No, not at all
9%
Did you view these agent recommendations as helpful or valuable?
Yes, very much so
47%
Yes, somewhat
48%
No, not really
5%
No, not at all
0%
The transaction experience buyers want now SEPTEMBER 2026
03
An overwhelming majority of buyers want an integrated transaction experience For years, surveys from the NAR and others have demonstrated the appeal of “one-stopshopping”. We found that not only do 87% of recent buyers find the idea of bundled services appealing, but also that 79% would prefer an integrated system coordinated by their real estate agent in their next purchase transaction. This preference is consistent across all age cohorts.
When asked to explain their interest in an integrated experience, survey respondents brought us full-circle, citing reasons that map to the hassle they felt in the transaction process. Most of those who would not prefer a bundled or integrated experience in their next transaction cite a belief that they can “get a better deal” shopping for services individually.
This is not merely conceptual affinity. People with recent experience buying a home want something better next time.
People with recent experience buying a home want something better next time.
The transaction experience buyers want now SEPTEMBER 2026
Does bundling the services of a real estate agent, a mortgage provider, title/closing services, and homeowner’s insurance within one company appeal to you?
Yes
87%
No
13%
Why does the idea of bundling services appeal most to you?
I think it could save me time and make the transaction easier
70%
I think it could make me worry less during the process
22%
I think it could save me money
8%
Other
0%
An app or website-driven experience where I have little or no human interaction with my mortgage, title/closing, and home insurance providers.
26%
An experience that is driven by in-person interactions.
35%
An experience led by people but supported by an app or website that integrates my mortgage, title/closing, and home insurance providers.
39%
If you were buying a home again right now, which of these three scenarios would be most appealing to you?
The transaction experience buyers want now SEPTEMBER 2026
04
Technology is a key supporting player, not the star Nearly three quarters of recent buyers would prefer a human rather than tech-led transaction experience if they were buying again now, with the highest preference being for “An experience led by people but supported by an app or website that integrates my mortgage, title/closing, and home insurance providers.” Women hold this preference somewhat more strongly than men.
It is clear that peoples’ desire for human interaction extends beyond the agent to encompass the full set of service providers involved in their transaction. Artificial intelligence and scaled data is reshaping the relationship between an agent and their clients, not breaking it up. The signal is clear: People like technology, but they value people.
Artificial intelligence and scaled data is reshaping the relationship between an agent and their clients, not breaking it up.
The transaction experience buyers want now SEPTEMBER 2026
If you were buying a home again right now, which of these three scenarios would be most appealing to you?
An app or website-driven experience where I have little or no human interaction with my mortgage, title/closing, and home insurance providers.
26%
An experience that is driven by in-person interactions.
35%
An experience led by people but supported by an app or website that integrates my mortgage, title/closing, and home insurance providers.
39%
The transaction experience buyers want now SEPTEMBER 2026
Conclusion The home buying process has been fragmented for decades, and bundling services isn’t a new idea. The problem has never been the concept, but the execution. Technology alone won’t fix it. What our research of 1,000 recent home buyers makes clear is that people want a transaction delivered by people working together as a coordinated team and supported by technology. Both are hard, and critical to delivering a better experience to consumers.
The transaction experience buyers want now SEPTEMBER 2026
Methodology This study was conducted using an original structured questionnaire fielded to a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States. A total of 1,000 respondents completed our survey. Eligible respondents were between the ages of 25 and 64, owned a single-family home or apartment, and had purchased their current residence within the past three years. Individuals working in the real estate industry were screened out to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure findings reflect the perspective of everyday home buyers. The questionnaire included a mix of single-select and open-field response questions to capture both quantifiable trends and qualitative context. Most questions were asked of all respondents; some were asked only of relevant subgroups. AI was used to analyze responses to open-ended questions. All survey respondents are vetted to ensure only those providing high-quality, consistent, and accurate data can participate. We automatically blocked VPN users and used AI to identify fraudulent behavior, including detecting duplicate survey attempts through device ID checks and verifying carrier consistency to flag suspicious responses. All open-ended answers were also manually reviewed for quality and to eliminate junk text.
The transaction experience buyers want now SEPTEMBER 2026
Full survey results When did you purchase the home you currently live in?
Do you have a mortgage?
When you last bought a home, what did you do first?
Did you go into your home purchase experience thinking that it was your real estate agent’s job to coordinate the mortgage, title/closing, and home insurance providers in the transaction?
Less than 12 months ago
18%
1 to 2 years ago
37%
2 to 3 years ago
46%
3 to 5 years ago
0%
More than 5 years ago
0%
I have never purchased a residential property
0%
Yes
100%
No
0%
I chose a mortgage provider first
41%
I hired a real estate agent first
55%
I can’t recall
4%
Yes, very much so
28%
Yes, to a degree
41%
No, not really
22%
No, not at all
10%
The transaction experience buyers want now SEPTEMBER 2026
Yes, very much so
21%
Yes, somewhat
49%
No, not really
26%
No, not at all
4%
Uncoordinated service providers (real estate agent, mortgage provider, insurance company, title/closing company)
46%
Searching for a home online
26%
Touring homes
17%
Communicating with my agent
8%
Other
3%
Did your real estate agent recommend a mortgage provider and/or a title insurance or home insurance company?
Yes
76%
No
24%
Did you view these agent recommendations as helpful or valuable?
Yes, very much so
47%
Yes, somewhat
48%
No, not really
5%
No, not at all
0%
Did you find the homebuying transaction process to be a hassle?
What was the biggest hassle?
The transaction experience buyers want now SEPTEMBER 2026
Does bundling the services of a real estate agent, a mortgage provider, title/closing services, and homeowner’s insurance within one company appeal to you?
Yes
87%
No
13%
Why does the idea of bundling services appeal most to you?
I think it could save me time and make the transaction easier
70%
I think it could make me worry less during the process
22%
I think it could save me money
8%
If you were buying a home again right now, which of the following scenarios would you prefer?
I would like to have mortgage, title/closing and home insurance on one integrated system that is coordinated by my real estate agent.
79%
I would like to shop for and select separate mortgage, title/closing, and home insurance providers and deal with them individually myself.
21%
Why do you want to shop for and deal with these providers individually?
I think I can get a better deal/lower rates this way
60%
I think having all these providers bundled or under one company is a conflict of interest, or sounds sketchy
37%
Other
3%
An app or website-driven experience where I have little or no human interaction with my mortgage, title/ closing, and home insurance providers.
26%
An experience that is driven by in-person interactions.
35%
An experience led by people but supported by an app or website that integrates my mortgage, title/closing, and home insurance providers.
39%
If you were buying a home again right now, which of these three scenarios would be most appealing to you?
The transaction experience buyers want now SEPTEMBER 2026
The Complete Real Estate Experience HomeServices of America is the trusted backbone of real estate’s most complete ecosystem. Delivering a seamless, confident homeownership experience, our OnePoint solution offers every part of the homeownership journey and provides what consumers value most: guidance from people they trust. Led by a local real estate agent, all services — from brokerage to mortgage to title and insurance — are connected into one powerful team working in sync to deliver confidence, speed, and simplicity. HomeServices of America is the owner of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network. HomeServices is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a consolidated subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. © 2026 HOMESERVICES OF AMERICA