NAR 2026 Buyer Profile: First-Time Buyers' Median Age Hits a Record 40, and a Record 10% Pay All Cash
First-time buyers made up 22% of purchases in the year to June 2026, up from a record low of 21% but still about half the pre-2008 norm of 40%, according to the National Association of Realtors' 2026 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, released November 5.
The median first-time buyer age stayed at an all-time high of 40 — 38 for buyers with a mortgage and 54 for cash buyers. A record 10% of first-time buyers paid all cash, and 28% of those cash buyers used an inheritance.
Repeat buyers accounted for 78% of purchases at a median age of 62, with 30% paying all cash, and sellers had stayed in their homes a record 12 years before selling. The report covers transactions from July 2025 through June 2026.
Source: National Association of Realtors
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 全美房地产经纪人协会位于华盛顿特区的办公楼。图：经 Wikimedia Commons（授权见该站文件页）。 / The National Association of Realtors building in Washington, D.C. Photo: via Wikimedia Commons (see the file page there for license terms).
