Half of today’s home buyers hire the first agent they talk to.
That single stat from the Zillow Consumer Home Trends Report should make anyone rethink how they show up at the very beginning of a buyer relationship.
When one conversation can decide who gets hired, visibility and responsiveness carry more weight than brand familiarity or years in the business.
The latest data makes something else clear. Buyers are still overwhelmingly dependent on professional guidance; 84% used an agent during their search or purchase in 2025, a rate that has held strong for several years.
Even first-time buyers, who often start alone online, use agents at nearly the same rate as repeat buyers (83% vs 86%).
In other words, the partnership is still central to the buying process, but the window to form that partnership is smaller than many agents realize.
Buyers Find Their Agents the Same Way They Always Have
The channels buyers rely on have not changed dramatically, but the split between online discovery and human referral shows where attention needs to be focused. Real estate websites and apps remain a major source of first contact, with personal networks close behind.
Based on the data, buyers are most likely to find their agent through the following sources:
- Real estate websites or apps: 22%
- Referrals from friends, relatives, neighbors, or coworkers: 20%
- Knowing the agent from their community: 11%
- Past experience: 9%
- Search engines: 6%
- Social media: 5%
When grouped, these channels reveal a balanced pattern:
- Net online discovery: 33%
- Net referral discovery: 30%
There’s no mystery here. Buyers choose from the names they already trust, already see, or already follow.
The First Agent Advantage Is Bigger Than Most People Think
Half of all buyers stopped searching after one conversation. That trend has held steady over three years. The other half shopped between two or more, but even then, the window is small. The median buyer made only two contacts before committing.
Here’s how the numbers break out:
- One agent contacted and hired: 50%
- Two agents contacted: 24%
- Three agents contacted: 14%
- Four agents contacted: 7%
- Five or more contacted: 4%
First-time buyers are more likely to explore multiple options:
- Contacted two or more agents: 54%
- Hired the first agent they contacted: 46%
Repeat buyers behave differently:
- Contacted two or more: 46%
- Hired the first: 54%
This tells you who needs deeper guidance and who already knows what they want. It also shows how quickly a buyer’s mind is made up.
Buyers Communicate Fast & Expect You to Do the Same
Once hired, most buyers stay in frequent contact. Daily communication was common, especially for younger adults, and weekly communication was the norm for everyone else.
The channel matters too. Text messaging was preferred by a large share of buyers, particularly those under 40.
Here are the biggest communication tendencies:
- Daily communication after hiring: 42%
- Weekly communication: 49%
- Preference for written communication among buyers ages 18 to 29: 71%
- Preference for written communication among buyers in their 30s: 73%
Younger buyers keep the process moving through texts and quick written updates. Older buyers lean more toward phone calls, but even then, written communication still plays a major role.
Matching your pace and style to theirs builds trust early.
What Buyers Actually Value When Choosing an Agent
The report shows that buyers care most about expertise, structure, and decision support. They want clear guidance on offers, paperwork, and negotiations. First-time buyers also want help coordinating the larger team around them, including inspectors and lenders.
The services ranked most valuable include:
- Organizing and submitting paperwork: 57%
- Help deciding offer details: 53%
- Leading negotiations: 47%
- Identifying homes to consider: 44%
- Private home tours: 43%
- Inspector referrals: 30%
- Lender referrals: 26%
The gap between what buyers value and what many agents lead with is wide. When someone contacts you for the first time, they’re looking for a process, not a pitch.
How to Increase the Odds of Being the First and Only Agent a Buyer Contacts
The data points toward several practical shifts that increase your chances of being the person a buyer hires within that one or two contact window.
To make discovery easier:
- Strengthen your presence on real estate portals where 22% of buyers first find their agent.
- Build a consistent referral system, since 20% of buyers choose through personal recommendations.
- Stay visible in your community to reach the 11% who choose someone they already know.
To make the first contact count:
- Respond quickly and outline next steps, because 41% hire after one contact and 23% hire after two.
- Communicate through the channels buyers prefer, especially text messaging for younger adults.
- Provide early structure on timelines, fees, and common surprises so the buyer feels grounded.
- Present yourself as the guide to the entire process, not just the person who unlocks doors.
Buyers choose fast, and they choose based on confidence, clarity, and early authority. Your first impression is not just an introduction. It’s often the deciding factor.
