2025 NextGen Homebuyer Report
Trust in financial institutions falls off a cliff while YouTube, social media, and AI become the default homebuying classroom.
Fifth annual report
Trust in loan officers fell to 19.5% in a single year.
- 66%
- use YouTube to learn about homebuying
- 42%
- plan to buy a fixer-upper to afford it
- 53%
- got no formal financial education in school
About the report
The 2025 NextGen Homebuyer Report, conducted in partnership with National MI, is available as both a comprehensive written report and presentation slides. The fifth annual report analyzes responses from 1,000 participants aged 18 to 44, capturing their financial realities, homeownership perspectives, and information preferences.
The research reveals significant trends in affordability strategies, trust dynamics, and digital engagement that are reshaping the homebuying journey for younger generations.
Key insights
- Plummeting trustTrust in financial institutions declined sharply, with banks dropping from 61.5% to 40% and loan officers falling to just 19.5% in a single year.
- Affordability strategies42% plan to buy fixer-uppers, 21% are considering co-buying, and 19% intend to rent out portions of their homes.
- Digital transformation66% use YouTube for homebuying education, 40% of Gen Z rely on social media for research, and 43% use AI tools like ChatGPT.
- Generational differencesGen Z is 78% more likely than Millennials to consider co-buying (32% vs. 18%), and only 43% of Gen Z feel confident in their personal finance knowledge compared with 53% of Millennials.
- Financial education lacking53% received no formal financial education in school, with another 29% saying it was optional or a short lesson.
Method
Survey of 1,000 U.S. adults aged 18 to 44, with representation across race, income, and gender.