Nearly three-quarters (74%) of all home buyers interview exactly one agent before hiring them. If you’re not the first person they talk to, you’re basically invisible.
Speed to lead is often the difference between a career-defining year and a quiet inbox. Online search might get you on the list, but the agent who responds first is often the one who gets hired.
We’ve been diving into the National Association of REALTORS® 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report to figure out exactly where the search for an agent begins.
Turns out, 58% of buyers find their agent either through a referral or by working with the same agent from a previous transaction, making relationships more important than ever.
NAR’s report also details how buyers find the right homes, and the path looks different across the spectrum of homebuyer ages.
And while AI and mobile technology are playing a bigger role, human real estate agents are still the clear number one choice for guidance through the homebuying process.
Let’s start with how buyers are finding the representation they need before diving into that home search and how AI is (and is not) changing the value of real estate agents.
How Buyers Choose Their Agent
Once buyers decide they want help, most aren’t running a long interview process:
- 74%–75% of buyers interviewed only one agent
- 16% interviewed two agents
- 7% interviewed three agents
- 3% interviewed four or more
Most buyers make a decision after one conversation. The agent who connects first often becomes the one they hire.
As far as how buyers find the agent they worked with, respondents said:
- Referred by a friend, neighbor, or relative (43%)
- Used an agent they had worked with before (15%)
- Referred by another real estate agent (7%)
- Found through a website (no specific reference) (6%)
- Met at an open house (5%)
- Personal contact from the agent (4%)
- Saw contact info on a For Sale/Open House sign (2%)
- Found via social media without a personal connection (1%)
Referrals lead the way here. Buyers lean on people they know and trust when it’s time to choose. That could be someone on social media who consistently posts content that answers their questions and gets them excited about the area they have in mind.
What buyers want from that relationship stays focused:
- Help finding the right home (50%)
- Help negotiating the terms of sale (13%)
- Help with price negotiations (12%)
- Help with paperwork (7%)
Buyers are looking for direction once they’re ready to move forward. Clear guidance and quick follow-up go a long way.
The next question becomes just as important: what keeps that relationship going after the deal closes?
Why Buyers Stick With (And Recommend) Their Agent
The relationship doesn’t end at closing. For most buyers, it carries forward into repeat business and referrals.
Here’s how buyers feel after working with an agent:
- 91% would use their agent again or recommend them
- 76% definitely would
- 15% probably would
That level of satisfaction drives the next cycle of business. One good experience turns into future clients through word of mouth.
Not every buyer becomes a referral source, but a significant share do recommend their agent one or more times.
- 38% never recommended their agent
- 15% recommended once
- 19% recommended twice
- 10% recommended three times
- 18% recommended four or more times
Taken together, 62% recommended their agent at least once, and 28% did so three or more times. Referral rates like those mean one client can turn into multiple introductions over time, especially when the experience stands out.
The way buyers talk about their agent comes down to the experience they had working with them:
- 92% of Younger Millennials were satisfied with their agent’s knowledge of the purchasing process
- 91% of Older Millennials were satisfied with their agent’s responsiveness
Buyers also point to specific moments that shaped that experience:
- 54% said their agent pointed out features or faults they hadn’t noticed
- 45% said their agent negotiated better contract terms
- 44% said their agent provided a better list of service providers
- 35% said their agent negotiated a better price
Buyers remember who helped them see something they would have missed. They remember who protected them in negotiations. And they’re more likely to recommend an agent who put them in touch with trustworthy service professionals (inspectors, etc.).
Referrals come from doing the job well enough that people bring your name up without being asked. And then continuing to deliver real value on a regular basis.
For many buyers, even those who’ve already begun the home search online, an agent’s value begins with helping them find the right home.
The Home Search
The first step in a home search shows where buyers go when they’re trying to get oriented. For most, that means going online first. But for more than a quarter of surveyed buyers, it means going straight to an agent.
Here’s what buyers said was their first step during the homebuying process:
- Looked online for properties for sale (46%)
- Contacted a real estate agent (20%)
- Looked online for information about the home buying process (8%)
- Contacted a bank or mortgage lender (7%)
- Talked with a friend or relative about the home buying process (6%)
Online search sets the pace early, which tracks with how buyers behave more broadly. People want fast access to listings, photos, and basic property information before they do anything else. Agents still show up early in the process, and for many buyers, they enter the picture almost immediately.
Buyers who began their search online included:
- 51% of Gen X buyers
- 49% of Younger Boomers
- 45% of Older Boomers and Older Millennials
- 38% of Younger Millennials
- 33% of Gen Z and Silent Generation buyers
Buyers who started by contacting an agent:
- 32% of Silent Generation buyers
- 24% of Gen Z buyers
Agents vs Tech in the Home Search Process
As buyers move beyond that first step, where they actually find the home they purchase starts to look a little different. Online search still plays a major role in finding available homes, but agents and personal connections are still deeply embedded in the outcome.
Here’s where buyers ultimately found the home they purchased:
- Internet (52%)
- Real estate agent (27%)
- Friend, relative, or neighbor (9%)
- Yard sign or open house sign (5%)
- Builder or builder’s agent (4%)
- Directly from seller (4%)
At 42%, Silent Generation buyers were the most likely to find their home through their agent, compared to 21% at the low end for buyers aged 27 to 35.
On the flipside, 61% of those younger buyers found their home via the internet, compared to just 25% of Silent Generation buyers.
Across all generations, the most difficult step of the home buying process was finding the right property (56%), followed by:
- Paperwork (18%)
- Understanding the process and steps (15%)
- Saving for the down payment (11%)
- Getting a mortgage (7%)
- Appraisal of the property (4%)
Younger buyers in particular are looking for a consultant to help them navigate the paperwork and the unknown. For them, your larger value is in the clarity you provide. Having tons of info at your fingertips can be more overwhelming than helpful.
Meanwhile, for the oldest buyers, you’re still the primary way they discover the home they’ll eventually buy.
This leads us to the biggest question for any agent: if everyone’s looking for professional help, how do they actually choose who they’re going to work with?
How Buyers Search (And Why Agents Still Matter)
Buyers don’t stay in DIY mode for long. As the search moves forward, agents become the central source of information and guidance.
Here’s how buyers search during the process:
- Used a real estate agent as an information source (85%)
- Used a mobile or tablet device (70%)
- Used online video sites (52%)
- Visited open houses (48%)
- Used yard signs (32%)
Agents are involved throughout the search. Buyers use them to validate information and narrow down choices.
Mobile device usage varies depending on the age of the buyer:
- 83% of Older Millennials
- 81% of Younger Millennials
- 79% of Gen Z
- 42% of the Silent Generation
Younger buyers rely heavily on mobile tools. Older buyers rely more on direct interaction.
Search timelines show how engaged buyers remain during the process. The median search length is 10 weeks. Some buyers move faster. Others take longer.
The biggest challenge, according to 56% of buyers, is finding the right property.
Buyers have access to a large number of listings, but that in itself can be overwhelming and slow the process down. Across generations, buyers look for help making decisions and moving forward with confidence.
Which is why, when it comes to the actual home purchase, 88% of surveyed buyers bought their home through a real estate agent or broker, followed by:
- Directly from the builder or builder’s agent (4%)
- Directly from the previous owner (7%)
Buyers follow a path shaped by visibility and trust. Online search plays a major role in how they begin. The experience they have with an agent shapes what happens next.
Having the right agent can mean the difference between finding the right home that fits their budget and an outcome that leaves them wishing they’d hired someone else.
