Closing Time for a Generation: Aging Owners Will Free Up 13.9 Million Homes Over the Next Decade, a 74% Jump From the Last 10 Years
PR Newswire•05/10/2026•06:00 ET
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Key Highlights
- ➤13.9 million homes projected released by aging owners through 2036, up 74% from prior decade
- ➤Family homes comprise 9.9 million, or 71.2%, of projected released inventory
- ➤Only 0.38 million starter homes expected released, limiting first-time buyer affordability relief
- ➤Annual releases rise from 1.27 million homes in 2027 to 1.52 million in 2036
- ➤Realtor.com says handoff alone cannot solve the nation’s 4 million-home shortage
Expert Statements
Jiayi Xu, Senior Economist at Realtor.com
“The scale of this transition is unlike anything we've seen in the past decade, and it's accelerating every year”
Jiayi Xu, Senior Economist at Realtor.com
“The question for buyers and sellers isn't whether more homes are coming, but which homes, where and how many buyers will be there to meet them.”
Jiayi Xu, Senior Economist at Realtor.com
“The handoff is a welcome relief, but it is not big enough to solve the housing shortage issue alone,”
Jiayi Xu, Senior Economist at Realtor.com
“Keeping homeownership within reach for the next generation, and keeping these homes a source of family wealth, will still take more supply, especially homes first-time buyers can afford, particularly in expensive markets.”
Closing Time for a Generation: Aging Owners Will Free Up 13.9 Million Homes Over the Next Decade, a 74% Jump From the Last 10 Years PR Newswire
Realtor.com(®) research finds the turnover alone won't eliminate nation's housing gap
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