SKN | Buyers Rely on Real Estate Agents for Mortgage Information, Raising Questions About the Line Between Guidance and Advice

A ServiceLink survey found that 43% of recent homebuyers sought mortgage information from real estate agents, making agents the most frequently cited source in the survey.

Buyers also turned to family and friends at 35%, lenders or loan officers at 29%, and social media and AI chatbots at 21% each.

The demand for more education and transparency suggests that agents can add value by explaining the transaction process while directing product-specific and personal financial questions to lending professionals.

The Public Assumption

Real estate agents are primarily expected to help buyers identify properties, negotiate transactions and navigate the purchase process. Mortgage questions, by contrast, are generally assumed to belong to lenders and loan officers.

The survey suggests that the actual buying process is less compartmentalized. ServiceLink’s 2026 State of Homebuying Report found that 43% of recent buyers sought mortgage information from a real estate agent, ahead of every other source measured.

That does not necessarily mean buyers expect agents to replace lenders. It indicates that financing questions are often emerging while buyers are still working with their agents and evaluating properties.

The Economic Breakdown

The survey included 1,554 U.S. adults who had purchased a home within the previous two years, with responses collected in November and December 2025.

After real estate agents at 43%, family and friends were cited by 35% of respondents. Lenders or loan officers accounted for 29%, while social media and AI chatbots each accounted for 21%.

The numbers reveal a potential information gap. Buyers are looking for financing information before or during the housing search, but the professional source most directly responsible for mortgage products ranked below agents in the survey.

That creates an important distinction between explaining the mechanics of a transaction and providing financial or lending advice. An agent can explain when financing enters the purchase process, what documentation may be required and when a lender becomes involved. Questions about specific loan products, interest rates, terms or an individual’s financial circumstances require a different level of expertise.

The Hidden Picture

The survey also points to a broader issue involving transparency. Thirty-four percent of respondents said they wanted more education from their real estate agent and lender, while 39% wanted greater transparency regarding the steps and fees involved in purchasing a home.

Those findings matter because the cost of buying a home extends well beyond the advertised purchase price. Buyers must understand how financing interacts with the transaction, including the timing of loan approval and the various costs that emerge before closing.

For agents, the opportunity is therefore not necessarily to provide more mortgage advice. It may be to make the process easier to understand and recognize when a question should be transferred to a lending professional.

The growing use of social media and AI chatbots adds another layer. Twenty-one percent of respondents cited each as a mortgage-information source, suggesting that buyers are increasingly willing to obtain financial information outside traditional professional channels. That makes clear explanations and appropriate referrals more important, not less.

Closing

If buyers increasingly approach real estate agents with mortgage questions before speaking to lenders, should the industry’s focus be on giving agents more financial authority—or on making the handoff between real estate and lending professionals more transparent?