{"id":25172,"date":"2025-09-02T14:48:54","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T14:48:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/?p=25172"},"modified":"2025-09-02T14:50:39","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T14:50:39","slug":"what-buyers-really-need-a-friendlier-take","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/what-buyers-really-need-a-friendlier-take\/","title":{"rendered":"What Buyers Really Need (A Friendlier Take)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Let\u2019s be real: last year was a wild one for real estate. New-home sales were killing it\u2014buoyed by a 33% increase in inventory and builders offering more affordable options. On the flip side, existing-home sales took a dive\u2014the lowest since 2008\u2014because supply was about half of pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even with mortgage rates up, buyers were still battling for those existing homes\u2014about a third of listings had multiple offers. Which meant plenty of folks left disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here\u2019s the bright side: those who did manage to buy were happy. A whopping 75% said they\u2019d definitely use the same agent again, and another 15% said \u201cprobably\u201d NAR<\/a>. That\u2019s why referrals are such a big business driver\u2014because agents are earning their stripes. And hey, for many homeowners, it paid off: the typical homeowner\u2019s median net worth is nearly $400,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2000, roughly 127 million existing homes have sold. That means around 114 million buyers were satisfied at closing. Of course, not everyone stays happy\u2014some businesses fade away, others pop up, and that\u2019s part of the game. In 2023 alone, over 100,000 new agent\u2011entrepreneurs joined NAR… and about the same number moved on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With more than 200,000 brokerages in the U.S., buyers can choose from full-service, fee-for-service, or even go it alone. Despite that variety, some legal folks are stirring things up, calling cooperative compensation a \u201ccartel.\u201d But there\u2019s no evidence of collusion, and let’s be honest\u2014collusion among that many professionals would be nearly impossible. The real losers in that scenario? Consumers\u2014especially first-time and first-generation buyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of first-timers: their share of the market ticked up to 31% in November, compared to 28% in both October 2023 and November 2022. Over the full year, they accounted for about 32% of sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why This Matters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n