800 sellers told us what went wrong.

Last one of the week.

And it might be the most useful thing you read before your next listing appointment.

Today's Seller Signals is about people who recently sold and told the truth about what they wish had gone differently.

The data is a direct window into every objection, every piece of post-sale resentment, and every conversation you should already be having proactively.

Here's what 800 sellers wish they'd known…

🏆 [B]est in Class: She handed the mic to the house and it closed
💡 [I]deas That Work: The 6-phase listing presentation checklist
📈 [T]raffic & Attention: Serhant turned a $195M listing into a launch
🔔 [S]eller Signals: 80% of sellers have regrets (make sure yours don't)

Let’s dive in 👇

A survey of nearly 800 homeowners who sold since 2023 is a direct window into the conversations agents are walking into right now, and the objections that surface weeks after closing.

The most common regret: Realtor commission was too expensive (19%). But dig one layer deeper and the real problem reveals itself.

Of sellers who didn't use an agent, 86% had regrets, compared to 77% who did.

And 56% of unrepresented sellers ultimately wished they had hired someone.

The dissatisfaction isn't really about commission. It's about not understanding the value before the bill arrived.

The second and third most common regrets, not selling for enough money (17%) and not negotiating enough with the buyer (16%), are both things an agent controls.

So is the fourth: underestimating what it would cost to sell (15%).

Sellers who were blindsided by costs were significantly more likely to feel strained, frustrated, and ultimately dissatisfied with the entire experience.

Here's what the data says sellers would have done differently if they'd known the full picture going in:

🤝 Negotiated more with the buyer (21%)
📈 Listed for more (21%)
⏳ Waited for more offers (20%)
💸 Budgeted differently (18%)
💰 Negotiated commission with their agent (16%)

They believe a different approach would have netted them an additional $35,915.

What this means at your next listing appointment

Every one of those regrets should be a proactive conversation.

Walk sellers through the true cost of selling before they're surprised by it.

Set expectations on concessions before they feel forced into them.

Explain what closing costs cover before they show up on the settlement statement.

Frame your commission as the reason 81% of represented sellers say their agent was worth it, not a line item to minimize.

The sellers who felt their agent clearly explained the costs upfront (81% of represented sellers) reported significantly fewer surprises.

The sellers who didn't get that conversation (41% of unrepresented sellers said costs were higher than expected vs. 29% of represented sellers) are the ones leaving your appointment to vent on Reddit.

The takeaway: regret is predictable. And predictable problems have a proactive solution.

The agents who walk in with this conversation already prepared aren't just building trust; they're removing the single biggest source of post-sale dissatisfaction before it has a chance to form.

Thursday ✅

That's your week of B.I.T.S.

A listing that introduced itself.

A framework that wins appointments before commission is mentioned.

The $195M announcement strategy.

And now, the survey data that tells you exactly which conversations prevent regret before it forms.

If you missed any of them, you can click here to read them all.

- Chris Smith and Jimmy Mackin