Higher Mortgage Rates, Lower Commissions: How Buyers Are Adapting

For years, buyers and homeowners alike held out hope that the record-low 3% mortgage rates of the pandemic era might come back. But according to the latest TurboHome–ResiClub Housing Sentiment Survey, featured in Fast Company, the tide is turning: a slim majority of homeowners (52%) now say they’d accept a mortgage rate of up to 6% on their next purchase.

This shift shows that buyers are recalibrating expectations and also rethinking how they approach the process of buying and selling.

A Shift in Sentiment

In Q1 2025, only 41% of homeowners said they’d accept a 6% mortgage. By Q3, that number had climbed to 52%. And while optimism is still low about rates dropping below 6% in the next year, buyers are starting to adapt rather than wait.

At the same time, expectations for home prices are shifting. A majority (55%) now believe local home prices will stay flat or decline in the next 12 months up significantly from earlier this year.

Digital Buyers Are Leading the Way

Today’s homebuyers aren’t waiting passively for agents to find them homes. In fact, 73% of respondents located their most recent property themselves. With Zillow, Redfin, and other digital platforms, buyers are more self-directed than ever.

That independence carries over into transactions:

• 81% of homeowners say they’d likely use a digital tool to draft a home offer
  
• Nearly half said they’d be very likely to do so
  
  

This aligns with TurboHome’s mission to combine AI-powered tools with experienced local agents, streamlining everything from comps and disclosures to offer writing.

Rethinking Agent Compensation

The survey also revealed a nuanced perspective on real estate commissions.

• 77% of homeowners felt their last agent provided valuable services
  
• 72% believed the commission on their last deal was justified
  
  

Yet, when asked about commissions in general, most said agents are overcompensated today. The shift likely reflects buyers and sellers anticipating how agent fees will affect their bottom line in the future—especially after the recent NAR settlement made commission structures more negotiable.

That’s where TurboHome’s flat-fee model resonates. Instead of 2.5%–3% of a home’s price, buyers pay a transparent flat rate (averaging $7,500–$15,000), keeping thousands more in their pocket.

The Future of Real Estate is Transparent and Tech-Enabled

As Fast Company highlights, the housing sector has long been familiar with discount and flat-fee brokerages, but consumers are just beginning to fully embrace them. With buyers now more realistic about mortgage rates and more open to digital-first solutions, the future of homebuying is clear: greater transparency, smarter tools, and fairer pricing.

TurboHome is proud to lead this shift, helping buyers not only navigate today’s housing market but also win with confidence and savings.

👉 Read the full Fast Company article here: Housing Market Reality Check

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