How generational trends reshape the housing market

• Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
• Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
• Share on X (Opens in new window) X

atHome Colorado Features

Related Articles

• The Dolan Team: Decades of experience, one shared mission and a passion for giving back
• Retire Right: The theme of life: What are your next 10 years about?
• Real Estate Transactions: Friday, May 15, 2026
• Riding the mortgage roller coaster: A reflection on the history of interest rates
• 3 tips for attending open houses

While housing statistics often confirm buyers’ and sellers’ expectations, data can also reveal unexpected generational behaviors. Who is buying homes and what they need from a property is shifting, and understanding these trends is critical for anyone buying or selling a home.

A new report from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) shows both familiar statistics and surprising changes, especially among younger buyers entering the market. The 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report highlights a housing market increasingly divided between homeowners with equity and younger buyers facing challenges in entering the market.

Gen Z buyers are also redefining assumptions about who purchases a home and when.

The report categorized generations as Gen Z, ages 18-26; Younger Millennials, ages 27-35; Older Millennials, ages 36-45; Gen X, ages 46-60; Younger Boomers, ages 61-70; Older Boomers, ages 71-79; and the Silent Generation, ages 80-100.

Boomers continue to dominate

The Baby Boom generation continues to lead as the largest group of buyers and sellers. Younger and older Boomers combined accounted for 42% of home purchases and 55% of home sales nationwide, according to NAR.

The trend is not surprising. Most Boomers are repeat buyers with substantial home equity. Many are also open to housing changes, whether downsizing or relocating to move closer to family or pursue a retirement lifestyle.

First-time buyers reach a record low

On the opposite side of the market sit first-time buyers, whose share dropped to historic lows.

NAR reports that only 21% of recent buyers purchased a home for the first time, down from 24% in the previous survey and the lowest level since data collection began in 1981.

Younger Millennials still make up the largest generation of first-time purchasers, at 60% of the total, though that figure fell sharply
from 71% last year.

Other first-time buyer statistics include:

• Older Millennials: 33%, down from 36%
• Gen X: 21%, up from 20%
• Younger Boomers: 8%, down from 9%
• Older Boomers: 4%, unchanged
• Silent Generation: 3%, down from 5%
  

Highlighting ongoing affordability challenges for younger households, the housing market is sharply divided “between homeowners with equity and first-time buyers trying to break in – many of whom are younger Millennials,” said NAR Deputy Chief Economist Dr. Jessica Lautz.

NAR found that high rental costs, credit card debt and student loans were among the biggest factors delaying buyers from their first home purchase. Younger buyers rely on savings and family assistance for down payments and 26% received a gift or a loan from friends or relatives.

Gen Z buyers challenge old assumptions

Faced with affordability challenges, the youngest buyers are forging creative solutions to achieve their first home purchase, and yielding some of the most unexpected findings.

Among Gen Z buyers:

• 35% were single women, the highest share among all generations.
• 17% were unmarried couples, also the highest share among all generations.
  

“What stands out about Gen Z is how confidently they’re beginning to define homeownership for themselves,” Lautz said. She added that marriage and children are no longer the milestones that precede a home purchase; the driving force is the desire to own.

One increasingly popular strategy is platonic co-buying: teaming up with someone other than a romantic partner to purchase a home. Colorado is at the heart of the movement, ranking fourth in the nation for co-ownership in 2025, according to CoBuy.

Policies support first-time homebuyers in Colorado

Recent policy changes may help more buyers qualify for homeownership.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are beginning to include rent and utility payment histories in credit score evaluations, according to Realtor.com. The initiative, led by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, intends to help more renters qualify for mortgages.

Colorado lawmakers have also approved measures, such as Senate Bill 25-053, which expands financing options for police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians. Another measure, Senate Bill 26-001, provides new funding allowances to support home construction.

Each buyer or seller enters the market with different priorities and economic realities. While generational trends help explain market shifts, local conditions still matter most. In a market split between equity-rich homeowners and affordability-challenged first-time buyers, working with a knowledgeable realtor can help buyers and sellers navigate the Boulder County market.

For more information, visit nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/home-buyer-and-seller-generational-trends and realtor.com/news/real-estate-news/fannie-freddie-credit-score-rent-pulte-announcement.

Jay Kalinski is the broker/owner of RE/MAX Elevate and owner of RE/MAX of Boulder. He is also an experienced Realtor, a lawyer, and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He focuses on both residential and commercial real estate and has experience in real estate development and investment. Jay lives in Boulder and is a zealous advocate for his clients as well as an avid triathlete, runner, reader and supporter of Veterans’ causes.

Stay up to date with area Real Estate and Home & Garden news information with the latest e-edition version of atHome Colorado online

This article is brought to you by atHome Colorado, your weekly insight into real estate, design, and community trends, published weekly by the advertising and marketing department in the Boulder Daily Camera, Loveland Reporter-Herald, Greeley Tribune, and Longmont Times-Call

• Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
• Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
• Share on X (Opens in new window) X

RevContent Feed

• CU Boulder sees 11th startup reach $1 billion unicorn status

  CU Boulder sees 11th startup reach $1 billion unicorn status

• Coroner identifies man, 33, who was killed in Second Flatiron fall near Boulder

  Coroner identifies man, 33, who was killed in Second Flatiron fall near Boulder

• It’s time for Boulder to rewrite its Land Use Code and unlock the development we need to thrive (Editorial)

  It’s time for Boulder to rewrite its Land Use Code and unlock the development we need to thrive (Editorial)

• Erie baseball stunned in Class 5A regionals

  Erie baseball stunned in Class 5A regionals

• Man dies in fall from Second Flatiron near Boulder

  Man dies in fall from Second Flatiron near Boulder

• Things to do in Boulder on Saturday, May 16:Firefly Handmade Market on Pearl Street

  Things to do in Boulder on Saturday, May 16:Firefly Handmade Market on Pearl Street

• Asking Eric: Adopted daughter’s birth grandmother has questions

  Asking Eric: Adopted daughter’s birth grandmother has questions

• City shouldn’t accept FAA funding for Boulder airport; teens on e-bikes are an accident waiting to happen (Letters)

  City shouldn't accept FAA funding for Boulder airport; teens on e-bikes are an accident waiting to happen (Letters)

• Boulder’s architecture is becoming ugly; data centers should pay their own way (Letters)

  Boulder's architecture is becoming ugly; data centers should pay their own way (Letters)

• Boulder Valley high school graduations start this weekend

  Boulder Valley high school graduations start this weekend