Pearl, an independent standards and ratings organization, announced that its Pearl SCORE data has been used in a new Realtor.com study quantifying how a home's performance affects its total cost of ownership. The study, published at https://www.realtor.com/research/new-construction-total-cost-of-ownership-2026, found 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 stem from fewer surprise repairs, better safety and comfort, and lower operating costs.
Powered by Pearl SCORE data, Realtor.com is introducing an interactive total cost-of-ownership experience on new construction listings. 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 by geography, climate, and local building standards. New England states led 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 identified 16 metropolitan areas where long-term savings from buying a newly built home fully offset the upfront price premium compared to an existing home, including San Diego, Salt Lake City, and San Antonio.
“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. These ratings are available free at pearlscore.com. Pearl’s ratings incorporate utility costs, climate data, maintenance projections, homeowner input, and home performance benchmarks to provide a comprehensive view of a home's livability.
