Realtor journal swaps younger couple for seniors — as age of average homebuyer hits 59 | Real Estate Market Insights

The National Association of Realtors scrapped a deliberate cowl picture of a younger, anticipating couple on its annual survey — and changed it with an older pair nearing retirement as the average US homebuyer has reached age 59.

“The original cover had a very cute, young couple who was expecting, and I said, ‘That’s not going to work,’” Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief economist, told NPR.

“We’re not seeing young couples, unfortunately, so it didn’t match.”

The National Association of Realtors scrapped a deliberate cowl picture of a younger, anticipating couple on its annual survey — and changed it with an older pair nearing retirement — to better replicate the typical U.S. homebuyer in 2025. National Association of Realtors

Instead, the cowl of NAR’s “2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers” reveals an older couple that seems to be of their 60s.

The swap was made in light of the survey’s findings about the state of homebuying in the US.

According to the report, the median age for all consumers is 59 while the median age for first-time consumers at 40 — each all-time highs.

The share of first-time consumers fell to 21%, a document low.

By comparability, the median age of first-time homebuyers in the Eighties was in the late 20s.

“The historically low share of first-time buyers underscores the real-world consequences of a housing market starved for affordable inventory,” Lautz said in the NAR release.

She describe a housing market that could be likened to “a tale of two cities.”

“We’re seeing buyers with significant housing equity making larger down payments and all-cash offers, while first-time buyers continue to struggle to enter the market,” she said.

According to the report, the median age for all consumers is 59 while the median age for first-time consumers at 40 — each all-time highs. The share of first-time consumers fell to 21%, a document low. seanlockephotography – stock.adobe.com

Only 21% of consumers had been buying their first home, down from about 40% before the Great Recession, according to the report launched Nov. 4.

Lautz told NPR that the shrinking share of new entrants reveals “real problems in the housing market that need to be addressed.”

The report discovered repeat consumers — usually wealthier and often paying money — now dominate the market, while youthful adults face mounting limitations.

Nearly one-third of repeat consumers paid solely in money, and the median down cost reached 23%, among the highest ranges since the Eighties.

“We see gridlock in today’s housing market,” Lautz told NPR.

The median age for first-time consumers has jumped a decade since 2005. Fewer younger households are shopping for: only 24% of current consumers have youngsters under 18, the lowest share ever recorded by NAR.

Shannon McGahn, the NAR’s chief advocacy officer, said delayed homeownership carries lasting financial penalties.

“Delayed or denied homeownership until age 40 instead of 30 can mean losing roughly $150,000 in equity on a typical starter home,” she said in the report.

The affordability disaster has been pushed by high costs, restricted stock and mortgage charges that hovered round 7% for a lot of 2025. Many householders who locked in low pandemic-era charges are holding on to their properties, staying put an average of 11 years — another document.

Only 21% of consumers had been buying their first home, down from about 40% before the Great Recession, according to the report launched Nov. 4. Studio Romantic – stock.adobe.com

First-time consumers like Minneapolis newlyweds Eve and Cael Burdick say the numbers replicate their actuality.

The couple, each 30, told NPR they’re priced out even in a market below the national average.

“There is no feasible way we could buy a house for $350,000 and then pull a home-equity line of credit to drywall the basement,” Eve Burdick said.

In a suburb of Richmond, Va., 35-year-old Sasha Skelton and her accomplice have also paused their search.

“Everything seems so expensive,” she said. “It makes me cautious about taking a jump where if our jobs fall out from underneath us, our house could be taken away.”

NAR’s Lautz said such tales are now typical.

“When we look at the lack of inventory for young adults to purchase what ends up being their biggest financial asset … we have work to do,” she said.

Despite the bleak outlook, NAR says demand stays strong among consumers who can afford to remain in the game.

Nearly 9 in 10 used an agent — a document high — underscoring, Lautz added, how “indispensable” professionals stay in an more and more complicated market.

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