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Why Gen Z is ditching the 'rent forever' mindset to invest in real estate sooner than expected
Real estate remains a priority for Gen Z and millennials, even as they consider using investment gains to start a business or fund a vacation
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Despite rising housing costs and high interest rates, young buyers are refusing to wait on the sidelines, with over half of Gen Z and Millennials now prioritising property ownership above all other investments. Rather than settling into a ‘rent forever’ lifestyle, this generation is actively pivoting toward alternative financing, suburban shifts, and micro-investments to secure their first keys.
Here is how young investors are quietly rewriting the rules of the real estate market.
As many as 45% said they plan to use their investment gains to buy a home. Millennials accounted for the largest share at 71%, followed by Gen Z at 49%, Gen X at 44% and baby boomers at 21%, according to the Anarock Real Estate Homebuyer Survey.
Starting a business followed at 25%, while 17% plan to build an emergency fund and 11% are focused on retirement. Only 2% identified vacations as a key goal.
The survey suggests that real estate remains an important end-use goal, even among investors currently allocating their capital elsewhere, potentially supporting future housing demand.
A clear generational divide
The survey also highlights differences in financial priorities across age groups.
Gen Z, generally referring to those born between 1997 and 2012, showed a strong preference for buying a home at 49% and entrepreneurship, with 39% saying they would use investment gains to start a business.
Millennials, broadly those born between 1981 and 1996, were the most likely among the four generations surveyed to say they would use investment gains to purchase a home, at 71%. Another 21% said they would use the gains to start a business, the survey showed.
Gen X, generally those born between 1965 and 1980, showed a more balanced set of priorities, with 44% intending to use investment gains for a home and 23% for starting a business.
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Baby boomers, generally those born between 1946 and 1964, placed greater emphasis on financial security, with 45% saying they would use investment gains to build an emergency fund and 25% for retirement. Only 21% said they would use the gains to purchase a home, while 8% would use them to start a business.
The findings point to a clear life-stage divide, younger investors are more focused on home ownership and entrepreneurship, while older investors place greater emphasis on financial security and retirement, the survey showed.
