A ‘small, but growing’ cohort of Gen Zers have beat the odds and broken into the US housing market — by learning from previous generations’ mistakes

In fact, Gen Z now accounts for just 3% of all homebuyers, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). (1) However, they’re making their presence felt in creative and deliberate ways.

Learning from Millennial mistakes

One of the most glaring errors young investors made was treating viral "hot tips" as investment strategy — jumping onto meme stocks, speculative crypto or “the next big thing" hype. Today, Gen Z is more cautious of flashy financial advice on social media, since much of it doesn't reflect real fundamentals or risks.

Gen Z is also more disciplined in saying no when home pricing or financing doesn’t make sense. For example, one report finds that 58% of Gen Z buyers who started a house search backed out due to unfavorable market conditions, showing they’re less willing to overcommit. (2)

On the other hand, buyers in the past, including older cohorts during housing booms, have felt pressured to buy or got swept up in market momentum, leading to rushed purchases and later regret

Finally, Millennials typically entered the housing market later, relying on two incomes and sometimes underestimating the risks of job loss or rising costs. Gen Z, by contrast, is more cautious about affordability and independence.

This is reflected in the fact that single homebuyers are driving much of this cohort’s activity. According to NAR, 30% of Gen Z homebuyers ages 18 to 25 are single women (3) — a higher share than any other age group. Instead of assuming a partner’s income will always factor in, younger buyers are acting solo to help reduce vulnerability if one income disappears.