91% of Home Sellers Worked with an Agent This Year, The Highest on Record

Agent-assisted home sales just reached their highest level on record. 

According to NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 91% of home sellers worked with a real estate agent from mid-2024 through mid-2025, up from 90% the year before and matching the previous all-time high from 2018. 

Only 5% of homes were sold FSBO, marking an all-time low.

That single number cuts through a lot of noise. Even as new tech tools and DIY platforms promise convenience, sellers continue to choose agents who bring expertise, negotiation skills, and market knowledge to the table. 

Data for homebuyers in NAR’s survey highlights the same trend: 88% of them purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker. 

Here’s what NAR’s latest data reveals about how sellers are choosing agents, what services they value most, and what’s helping the best agents turn satisfied clients into steady business.

The Rise of the Agent-Assisted Sale

Agent representation is higher than it’s been in years, and the FSBO share has never been lower.

• 91% of sellers used a real estate agent in 2025, up from 90% the year before.
• Only 5% of sales were FSBO, the lowest rate ever recorded.
• Among sellers who already knew the buyer, 38% sold the home themselves.
• Among sellers who didn’t know the buyer, 96% worked with an agent.

The consistency of these numbers tells a story. When the transaction involves any level of uncertainty or risk, sellers don’t want to navigate it alone.

If you’ve been wondering whether a traditional agency still has a place in a tech-heavy market, this year’s report answers that question definitively. It’s not about avoiding technology; it’s about pairing it with professional expertise that clients can trust.

How Sellers Choose Their Agents

Referrals, repeat business, and reputation continue to dominate.

• 66% of sellers worked with an agent referred to them or one they had used in the past.
• 80% contacted only one agent before deciding who to hire.
• 51% used the same agent who helped them buy their home.
• Among sellers who moved within 10 miles, 72% reused the same agent.
• Those who moved more than 50 miles away typically hired a different one.

This data points to an important pattern: most sellers don’t shop around. They choose someone they already know, or someone their circle trusts.

If you’re visible, responsive, and consistent, you’re not competing with dozens of other agents; you’re top of mind before the listing appointment even happens.

What Sellers Want Most

Sellers are clear about what they value most in an agent, and it hasn’t changed much over the years.

• 86% of sellers said their agent provided a broad range of services.
• 7% said their agent offered limited services.
• 7% said their agent listed the home on the MLS but did little else.

When asked what they wanted most from their agent, sellers prioritized:

1. Help marketing the home to potential buyers (23%)
2. Pricing the home competitively (19%)
3. Selling the home within a specific timeframe (19%)
4. Preparing or fixing up the home for sale (13%)

When choosing an agent, sellers ranked:

• Reputation as the top factor (35%)
• Trustworthiness and honesty next (22%)
• A friend or family connection third (15%)

The message is simple: skill matters, but so does trust. Your marketing and pricing expertise gets them in the door, but your reputation is what keeps the referrals coming long after closing.

How Agents Market Homes in 2025

Despite new tools and platforms, MLS listings and traditional marketing remain dominant, with social media becoming a steady companion rather than a replacement.

• 85% of agents listed homes on the MLS.
• 67% used yard signs.
• 59% hosted open houses.
• 50% listed on Realtor.com®.
• 49% used their own website.
• 46% posted on third-party aggregators.
• 42% used their company website.
• 23% used social media to promote listings.

The numbers show a clear hybrid trend. You don’t need to reinvent your process; just expand it. Consistent MLS exposure, local visibility, and a smart social media strategy still form the strongest combination for reach and credibility.

Turning Sellers into Repeat Clients

Once a seller hires an agent, satisfaction is high, and it’s translating into repeat and referral business.

• 87% said they would definitely (75%) or probably (12%) recommend their agent.
• 65% have already recommended their agent at least once since selling.
• 24% have recommended their agent four or more times in the past year.

These are not passive numbers. They represent active word-of-mouth momentum. If you keep in touch after the sale, stay helpful, and deliver genuine value over time, you’re turning each closing into an ongoing marketing engine.

Client trust isn’t something you earn once. It’s something you reinforce every time you show up, answer a question, or offer insight that reminds them why working with you was the best decision they made.

Agent-assisted home sales are at record highs, FSBO listings are at record lows, and seller satisfaction is through the roof. The data points in one direction: sellers continue to put their confidence in professionals who bring experience, strategy, and trust to one of life’s biggest transactions.

Technology will keep evolving, but that trust, the human part, isn’t going anywhere.