As of 2025, the average homeowner stays in their homes for just over 8 years (ATTOM).
While that duration has increased compared to previous decades, the market cycle remains inevitable. Whether a client returns to their agent for their next move, or starts fresh with a competitor, depends entirely on the foundation that agent built during their first transaction.
According to NAR, 40% of all buyers work with a real estate agent who was referred to them by a friend or family member, or one they have used previously. But what separates this 40% from the rest? It comes down to meeting specific expectations that today’s clients prioritize over everything else.
What Buyers Value Most
When choosing an agent, today’s buyers aren’t necessarily looking at the logos on a business card. According to 2025 data, the three most important factors for buyers are:
Experience: They want a navigator who has seen every market condition.
Honesty and Trustworthiness: Transparency is the baseline for loyalty.
Reputation: What others say about you matters more than what you say about yourself.
While factors such as specific designations, community involvement, and the firm the agent associated with are consistently ranked as the least important to the average buyer.
What Sellers Are Looking For
Priorities shift slightly when a client moves to the listing side of the transaction. For sellers, the decision is even more personal. Their top three priorities include:
- Reputation
- Honest and trustworthy
- Existing Relationships (Being a friend or family member)
Like Buyers, Sellers are less concerned with an agent’s specific firm or their list of professional certifications. A surprising factor is that sellers do not prioritize an agent who seems 100% accessible at all hours. Instead, they value effective communication over constant communication.
Breaking Down the Standout Service
After the stress of touring homes and navigating bidding wars, 73% of buyers say they would use their agent again. To stay of the right side of that statistic, agents should be focusing on these three communication pillars:
Personal Connection: Buyers appreciate an agent who calls personally to deliver major updates rather than relying solely on automated systems.
Proactive Updates: Clients want to hear from you a moment a property hits the market, a price changes, or a home goes under contract.
The Power of Texting: While phone calls are for big news, texting is the preferred method for daily updates. Speed is the currency of the market, and a quick text is the fastest way to keep a client informed.
For sellers, the expectations are clear: they want expert marketing (specifically high-quality photos and detailed property info), competitive pricing to ensure no money is left on the table, and help coordinating the complex timelines of moving from one home to the next.
It’s All About Who You Know
The data proves that networking is at the core of real estate. 38% of found their agent through a referral or personal connection, and 28% returned to the agent they used previously.
While traditional marketing tactics like postcards, flyers, and social media ads have their place, they simply do not hold a candle to the power of word-of-mouth. Combined, a staggering 66% of sellers choose an agent based on a pre-existing relationship or trusted recommendation.
Our Advice?
For Agents: Be the professional your client wants to refer. Stay in active contact with your existing book of business and treat every past client like a future lead. Active communication and radical transparency are the keys to five-star service in today’s market.
For Buyers and Sellers: If you aren’t starting with a referral from a trusted friend, look for agents who specialize in your specific target area and interview them. Look for a reputation you can respect and a communication style that matches your own.
As for your mortgage, you can trust Southern Trust Mortgage to get you home. We pride ourselves on the same transparency and communication that today’s homeowners value most. Contact us today to get started!
