The frequent milestones of the American dream as soon as got here in speedy succession. {Couples} would get married, purchase a house, and have youngsters. However low stock, skyrocketing mortgage charges, and stagnating wage progress have scrambled these milestones for some.
The Nationwide Affiliation of Realtors’ (NAR) 2026 Residence Patrons and Sellers Generational Traits Report, a survey of 6,103 main residence consumers from July 2025, discovered that many Gen Zers—which the NAR defines as these ages 18 to 26—are skipping the chapel and strolling straight right into a realtor’s workplace. Greater than half of Gen Zers immediately, 53%, are shopping for houses alone. That determine is greater than double the speed at which millennials had been shopping for houses solo on the identical age. An NAR examine from 2013, the primary yr NAR launched their generational traits report, discovered that singles comprised simply 22% of homebuyers 32 and youthful. Out of these Gen Zers buying a house, 35% are single girls and 18% are single males.
“Gen Zers are absolutely crushing it when we think about singles purchasing homes in this housing market compared to millennials at the same age,” Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist and vp of analysis at NAR, instructed Fortune.
The development is the most recent information level within the generational reinvention of the trail to homeownership. A 2025 Coldwell Banker survey discovered a staggering 84% of Gen Zers say they’re delaying main life milestones, similar to marriage and even profession modifications, simply to afford a house. The age of the median first-time homebuyer hit an all-time excessive of 40 final yr, which means even the oldest Gen Zers are nonetheless over a decade away from reaching homeownership.
Nationwide Affiliation of Realtors / 2026 Residence Patrons and Sellers Generational Traits
The enormous to make sure accompanying this information level is that, as many Gen Zers goal to make homebuying a actuality, they nonetheless make up a small share of the housing market. The era accounted for simply 4% of all consumers. And the report additionally discovered first-time homebuyers composed the smallest share ever recorded since NAR began accumulating information in 1981. First-time consumers comprise nearly one in 5, or 21%, of homebuyers, down from 24% final yr.
How some Gen Zers afford a down cost
The housing market total immediately is transferring at an more and more sluggish tempo. The spring shopping for season is normally one of many hottest instances for the market. However dwelling gross sales fell 3.6% in March month over month as potential homebuyers wait on the sidelines for mortgage charges to fall and for affordability issues—partly pushed by higher-for-longer oil costs stemming from the Iran conflict—to chill down.
For these Gen Zers who’ve scored a pair of keys, many are taking nontraditional routes to a down cost. About 14% of homebuyers 18 to 26 have consulted a neighborhood or authorities down cost help program (DPAP). These monetary help initiatives are normally offered by state or native governments, nonprofits, or lenders and are designed to cowl the upfront prices of buying a house, serving to low-income consumers get a foothold within the housing market. For comparability, the next-highest era to seek the advice of a DPAP for assist was younger millennials, ages 27 to 35, simply 4% of whom used that monetary lever.
About 13% of Gen Zers have acquired presents from family members or associates. That’s lower than younger millennials, almost 1 / 4 of whom acquired presents, and 13% of older millennials, 36- to 45-year-olds, did too. About one-fifth of Gen Z homebuyers used the proceeds from the sale of a main residence.
Regardless of the journey, Lautz stated the numerous paths to homeownership level to the resilient perception in homebuying as a core tenet of the American dream. “I am encouraged that we are seeing them move into homeownership,” she stated. “I do think it speaks to the strength of homeownership being part of the American dream.”
