Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ranked Highest for Repeat Home Buyer Satisfaction in J.D. Power’s 2018 Home Buyer/Seller Satisfaction Study

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, an HSF Affiliates LLC company, announced that the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices real estate brokerage network ranked “Highest Overall Satisfaction for Repeat Home Buyers Among National Full Service Real Estate Firms” in a tie in the J.D. Power 2018 Home Buyer/Seller Satisfaction Study^SM.

The study, now in its 11th year, measured satisfaction with the nation’s largest real estate companies among customers in four segments: first-time buyers; repeat buyers; first-time sellers; and repeat sellers. Overall satisfaction was tracked on a 1,000-point scale across four factors of the home-buying experience: agent/salesperson; real estate company office; closing process; and variety of additional services.

Among repeat home buyers, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices scored 874 out of a possible 1,000 points, performing particularly well in the agent/sales person category among others. “Our Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network represents top-quality service and representation across the U.S. and in Berlin, London and other parts of the world,” said Gino Blefari, CEO and president of the network.

“The ranking ‘highest for repeat home buyer satisfaction’ says a lot about our network agents and brokerages,” Blefari added. “In simple terms, clients experienced our network’s service and expertise, successfully navigated the real estate process, and returned for another transaction. Our network agents earn repeat business and that is the true mark of quality service.”

J.D. Power’s study yielded several key findings about the real estate process in general. Among them:

• Real estate agents play critical role of guiding customers through process: Among both buyers and sellers, overall satisfaction scores are roughly 100 points higher when agents provide timely responses to questions; keep customers informed of key points in the transaction; and share comparable properties.
• Strong customer satisfaction builds loyalty and advocacy: Across all customer segments, high levels of overall satisfaction with the firm is directly correlated with likelihood to use the firm again for a future transaction and recommend the firm to others.
• Reputation matters: A real estate firm’s reputation is the No. 1 or No. 2 reason for selecting a company, across all survey respondents.
• Social media plays major role: Nearly half (47%) of buyers and 55% of sellers indicate using social media to find agents, with the majority in each case saying they were “delighted” (overall satisfaction of 900 and higher) after doing so.

“The team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate is focused on exceeding client expectations – buyers and sellers alike,” explained Cathie Daniel, Broker at Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate. “Exceptional service contributes to the high scores our network achieved in the important agent/sales person category, and the loyalty and advocacy typically shown toward our brokerage and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand.”

About J.D. Power
J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has offices serving North/South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. J.D. Power is a portfolio company of XIO Group, a global alternative investments and private equity firm headquartered in London, and is led by its four founders: Athene Li, Joseph Pacini, Murphy Qiao and Carsten Geyer.

The 2018 Home Buyer/Seller Satisfaction Study includes 4,072 evaluations from 3,332 customers who bought and/or sold a home between March 2017 and April 2018. The study was fielded from March through May 2018. For more information about the 2018 Home Buyer/Seller Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/resource/us-home-buyerseller-satisfaction-study.