Real Estate Sale: The Biggest Regret is "Selling for Less Than Expected." What are the Key Points to Consider Before Selling?

■ What are the regrets after selling real estate and points to be careful about in the future, according to those with real estate selling experience?

Selling real estate is not something many people experience multiple times in their lives.
That's why, once the sale is complete, there are often situations where people feel, "I wish I had done things differently."
What kind of regrets are common, and what are the causes of these regrets?
Therefore, in collaboration with Irohaya Fudosan, we conducted a survey on "Regrets in Real Estate Sales" targeting 100 men and women nationwide who responded in a preliminary survey that they "have experience selling real estate."

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"Survey on Regrets in Real Estate Sales" Overview
Survey method: Online questionnaire
Survey period: March 6, 2026 - March 14, 2026
Respondents: Men and women nationwide who responded in a preliminary survey that they "have experience selling real estate."
Valid responses: 100 samples
Questions:
Question 1: Have you ever regretted anything after selling real estate, such as "I wish I had done this"?
Question 2: What kind of regrets were they? (Multiple answers allowed)
Question 3: Among them, please choose the single biggest regret.
Question 4: Please tell us the reason.
Question 5: What was the reason for your regret? (Multiple answers allowed)
Question 6: If you have another opportunity to sell real estate in the future, what would you be careful about?

* As a general rule, percentages are rounded to the second decimal place, so the total may not always be 100%.

■ 22.0% responded that they "have regretted something after selling real estate."

First, we asked if they had ever regretted anything after selling, such as "I wish I had done this."
The results showed that 22.0% said "yes" and 78.0% said "no."
This indicates that approximately one in five people experience some form of regret after selling.

Furthermore, we asked those who responded "yes" to having regrets what specific regrets they had.
The most common response was "selling for less than expected" at 54.5%.
This was followed by "I should have gotten appraisals from multiple companies" at 40.9%, and "I should have been more careful in choosing a real estate company" and "I should have thoroughly checked brokerage fees and other expenses" both at 27.3%.
While price-related regrets dominate the top positions, regrets related to the "preparation stage," such as insufficient selection of real estate companies and failure to confirm expenses, are also prominent. This highlights the importance of information gathering and comparative review before entering into sales activities.

■ 59.1% chose "selling for less than expected" as their biggest regret.

Next, we asked those who responded "yes" to having regrets to choose their single biggest regret among multiple regrets.
Again, "selling for less than expected" was the overwhelming top choice at 59.1%.
This was followed by "I should have been more careful in choosing a real estate company" and "I should have thoroughly checked brokerage fees and other expenses" both at 9.1%.
It appears that "financial regret" is indeed the biggest regret.

We asked for the reasons behind each response, and here are some examples:

Those who responded "selling for less than expected":
- Because I still wanted to sell it for a slightly higher price. (40s, female)
- Because the commission was quite high, I should have raised the selling price more to cover that. (50s, female)
- I sold it in a hurry, so I wish I had held out a bit longer. (60s, male)

Those who responded "I should have been more careful in choosing a real estate company":
- I only got an appraisal from one company, and the selling method didn't suit my intentions. (70s, male)

Those who responded "I should have thoroughly checked brokerage fees and other expenses":
- The various expenses were higher than I expected. (70s, male)
- Commission. (70s, male)

Comments such as "I sold it in a hurry," "I lacked knowledge," and "I didn't consider the commission" were prominent.
In real estate sales, it appears that haste and lack of information directly lead to price-related regrets.
Many experienced sellers realize the importance of understanding market prices in advance and calculating the total cost, including various expenses.