HomeServices of America today released new research showing that the home-buying transaction process remains fragmented and frustrating for most consumers and that buyers overwhelmingly want their real estate agent to lead a coordinated team of mortgage, title, and insurance professionals – supported by technology – to fix it.

Titled The Transaction Experience Buyers Want Now, the findings are based on an original survey of 1,000 recent home buyers nationwide, conducted by HomeServices of America. Respondents were between the ages of 25 and 64, had purchased a home within the past three years, and were screened to exclude anyone working in the real estate industry, ensuring the results reflect the perspective of everyday consumers.

The research confirms what HomeServices has long believed, that while the idea of bundling real estate, mortgage, title and insurance services is not new, most buyers are still left to ‘project manage’ a disparate team of providers who often don’t communicate well with each other.

That gap between consumers’ expectation of agent coordination and the reality they experience is the single biggest driver of frustration in the transaction process. And while the industry has long positioned the real estate agent at the center of the transaction, and most agents do offer referrals, the research shows that in practice, buyers are largely on their own managing a disparate team from multiple companies.

That disconnect means many buyers begin one of life’s most significant financial decisions with an expectation that goes unmet — not because the agent isn’t trying, but because the system around the agent isn’t built to deliver on it. HomeServices believes this gap is exactly where it is best positioned to help.

Buyers Expect Their Agent to Coordinate the Deal – and Most Don’t Get It

A combined 69% of recent buyers said they expected their real estate agent to coordinate their mortgage, title/closing and home insurance providers: 28% “very much so” and another 41% “to a degree.” That expectation is rarely met:

  • 70% of buyers found the transaction process to be a “hassle”: 21% said “very much so” and 49% said “somewhat.”

  • “Uncoordinated service providers” was cited as the single biggest hassle by 46% of buyers, more than double the next-highest factor (searching for a home online, 26%).

  • Frustration with the process deepens as household income increases.

Agent Recommendations Are a Win – But the Experience that Follows Often Disappoints

76% of buyers said their agent recommended a mortgage, title or home insurance provider, and virtually all of them – 95% – found those recommendations helpful or valuable (47% “very much so,” 48% “somewhat”). Asked why in an open-ended question, buyers most often cited:

  • Time savings (19%)

  • The agent’s expertise (13%)

  • Trust in the agent’s advice (12%)

  • Extra reassurance as first-time buyers (11%)

Rather than viewing these referrals as a sales push, most buyers described them as a practical shortcut that reduced uncertainty, underscoring that the relationship, not the referral itself, is what buyers value.

An Overwhelming Majority of Buyers Want an Integrated Experience

87% of recent buyers said the idea of bundling a real estate agent, mortgage provider, title/closing services, and home insurance within one company is appealing, and 79% said they would prefer an integrated system coordinated by their real estate agent the next time they buy a home – a preference that holds consistently across all age groups:

  • Among those drawn to a bundled experience, 70% said it could save time and make the transaction easier, 22% said it would reduce worry during the process, and 8% cited potential savings.

  • Of the smaller share (21%) who would rather shop for providers individually, 60% believe they can get a better deal that way, while 37% said a bundled offering sounds like a potential conflict of interest.

Technology is a Key Supporting Player, But Not the Star…the agent Actually is

The findings also offer a counterpoint to a narrative that some of the largest companies in the residential real estate industry have adapted, that one of life’s most important and complex moments can be compressed into an app. Before going further down the app-first road, the data suggests it’s worth asking buyers what they actually want: an experience supported by technology but powered by people.

The research also makes clear what buyers are not asking for. Just 26% said they would prefer an app- or website-driven experience with little or no human interaction. In contrast, 74% favor a human-led experience – 35% want an experience driven by in-person interactions, and 39%, the largest single group, want “an experience led by people but supported by an app or website” that integrates their mortgage, title/closing and home insurance providers. Women held this preference for a people-led, tech-supported experience somewhat more strongly than men.

“The results of the study reinforce our vision for the Complete Real Estate Experience,” says Chris Kelly, President & CEO of HomeServices of America. “As the only residential real estate enterprise in North America that supports consumers from their first home search, through mortgage, title, homeowner’s insurance, and loan servicing, it’s clear that we bring a unique value proposition to the industry.”

The pattern that emerges across the research is consistent, consumers like technology, but they value people. Artificial intelligence and scaled data are reshaping the relationship between an agent and their clients – not replacing it. HomeServices believes meeting this demand will require more than yesterday’s “one-stop-shop” efforts, – it means rethinking the transaction experience entirely and finding the balance between technology and humanity that serves consumers best.

About the Research

The study was conducted using an original structured questionnaire fielded to a nationally representative sample of 1,000 U.S. adults ages 25 to 64 who purchased a single-family home or apartment within the past three years. Individuals working in the real estate industry were screened out to avoid conflicts of interest. The questionnaire combined single-select and open-ended questions, with AI used to analyze open-ended responses. All respondents were vetted for data quality, including automatic blocking of VPN users and AI-based fraud detection, and all open-ended responses were manually reviewed.

The full report is available for download HERE.

About HomeServices of America

HomeServices of America is the trusted backbone of real estate’s most complete ecosystem. Its OnePoint solution connects every part of the homeownership journey, delivering what consumers value most: guidance from people they trust. Led by a local real estate agent, services spanning brokerage, mortgage, title, and insurance operate as one connected team – working in sync to deliver greater confidence, speed, and simplicity at every step. 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. Information about HomeServices is available at www.homeservices.com. © 2026 HOMESERVICES OF AMERICA.

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