Agents face a tough reality right now. Your clients have to pay much more for a house. Low inventory can make finding a home in their budget difficult. And even when they manage to win a house, many Buyers have regrets about it. Let’s look at the regrets they have, how you could reduce buyer’s remorse in this market, and why it matters to you.
What Do Buyers Regret About Home Buying?
To determine what first-time home buyers have regretted about their purchase, it helps to look at what first-time home sellers said about their experience in their home.
According to a 2025 survey by Opendoor, a huge percentage of first-time home sellers had regrets about buying their home, especially younger sellers.
Just look at the breakdowns of home sellers who thought they made a mistake buying during the pandemic:
- 94% of Gen Z
- 86% of millennials
- 48% of baby boomers
Further, for 37% of millennials, which are one of the biggest groups of home buyers (behind baby boomers), the biggest source of regret was that they underestimated maintenance costs.
How Can Agents Reduce Buyer’s Remorse?
Here are a few ways you can work to reduce buyer’s remorse among your clients.
Coverage your clients deserve
Add the industry-leading home service plan to your agent tool kit.
1. Educate them on a Home Service Plan
In 2025, a Home Service Plan (aka Home Warranty) is a recommended incentive to help sell a house, according to HomeLight. Even with a softening seller’s market, the costs of homes along with high interest rates can make buyers skeptical about the homes they buy.
A big regret younger Buyers have about home buying is maintenance costs were too high. Many younger Buyers don’t have the experience, time, or money to fix things when they break. They also may not know the right person to call about it (and will probably call you first).
A Home Service Plan from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty (2-10) can help address this critical complaint younger Buyers have.
If you can show them that a Home Service Plan can help protect their budget against breakdowns to covered parts of things like their A/C, furnace, water heater, and refrigerator, you can directly address the pain they have over the post-closing costs of homeownership.
Many Buyers are totally unaware of what a Home Service Plan does. In fact, many of your Buyers will learn what it does from you, which could be a value-added service you provide.
2. Set expectations early and on their terms
You’re always working hard to set expectations for your clients. The key is to set those expectations on their terms. Younger Buyers communicate differently than past generations, and it’s essential that you know how to communicate with them on their terms.
Perhaps the most important aspect of setting expectations is be realistic.
You don’t need to doom-and-gloom your younger clients. But since many of them have regrets about home buying (more so than past generations), it’s important to set the tone early: This might be harder than we thought, but I’m going to do everything I can to find a home you love.
Additionally, with a 2-10 Home Service Plan, your Buyers can get a head start on home maintenance. For example, our Happy Home Lock & Hardware program reimburses Buyers who change their locks within 45 days after closing, up to $100.
Why Do Breakdowns Matter to Agents?
Younger Buyers comprise one of the largest groups of Buyers currently on the market. Coincidentally, many are entering the market at a challenging time. Knowing what it is that they currently regret or fear can help you prepare and adjust for the future.
Additionally, many agents rely on referrals for their success. Happy, fulfilled clients tend to lead to more and better referrals. On the other hand, clients who have regrets may project those regrets onto you, whether it’s fair or not.
Finally, understanding the different kinds of regrets your Buyers have in home buying can help you strategize for the future. Low inventory, high interest rates, and affordability challenges are macro problems that no single agent, company, or entity can solve alone.
However, you CAN work to reduce buyer’s remorse among your younger clients, especially in terms of their biggest regret: maintenance costs.
With buyer’s remorse, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Providing a 2-10 Home Service Plan can offer solutions to some of the main causes of buyer’s remorse in the market. When you show your clients you’re looking out for them even after the sale, it could be a boon for your referral book.
Coverage your clients deserve
Add the industry-leading home service plan to your agent tool kit.
