Pearl, an independent standards and ratings organization, announced that its Pearl SCORE data has powered a new Realtor.com study quantifying how a home's performance shapes its total cost of ownership. The study reveals that buyers of newly built homes save an average of $25,335 over the first 10 years of ownership compared to buyers of 20-year-old homes. These savings are driven primarily by fewer surprise repairs, better safety and comfort, and lower operating costs over time.
The full report, published at Realtor.com, introduces an interactive total cost-of-ownership experience on new construction listings. Powered by Pearl SCORE data, this feature provides personalized 10-year savings estimates comparing newly built homes to comparable resale properties, giving buyers greater visibility into future utility, maintenance, and replacement costs before making a purchase decision.
“All homeowners want to know what a home will actually cost to live in,” said Robin LeBaron, Pearl’s President of Standards and Policy. “Pearl built the dataset that makes that possible, and we’re glad Realtor.com is the first major portal to put it in front of consumers.”
The analysis found that financial benefits vary significantly by geography, climate, and local building standards. New England states led the nation in long-term savings, with Massachusetts ranking highest at nearly $39,000 in estimated savings over 10 years due to stricter building codes and greater energy efficiency demands in colder climates. The research also identified 16 metropolitan areas where the estimated long-term savings from buying a newly built home fully offset the upfront price premium compared to an existing home. Markets such as San Diego, Salt Lake City, and San Antonio demonstrated that lower operating and maintenance costs can substantially improve the long-term economics of homeownership.
“Our team has built the industry’s richest home performance dataset,” said Tim Stanislaus, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Pearl. “We’re thrilled to have Realtor.com introduce Pearl to US homebuyers. Today’s new-construction tool is one of many ways our data helps buyers understand how home performance matters.”
The analysis draws on Pearl SCORE, which rates every U.S. single-family home across five performance pillars: Safety, Comfort, Operations, Resilience, and Energy. Those ratings are available free to consumers at pearlscore.com. Pearl’s ratings draw on utility costs, climate data, maintenance projections, homeowner input, and home performance benchmarks to give homebuyers a more comprehensive view of what a home is actually like to live in.
For business and technology leaders, this study underscores the growing importance of data-driven insights in real estate. By quantifying the long-term cost implications of home performance, Pearl and Realtor.com are equipping consumers with tools to make more informed decisions, potentially shifting market dynamics toward energy-efficient and well-built homes. This trend could influence builders to prioritize performance metrics and encourage policymakers to adopt stricter building codes, ultimately impacting the housing industry's approach to sustainability and consumer value.
