{"id":7237,"date":"2026-04-08T13:27:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T13:27:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aihomedesign.com\/blog\/?p=7237"},"modified":"2026-09-29T11:51:03","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T11:51:03","slug":"nar-profile-of-home-buyers-and-sellers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aihomedesign.com\/blog\/real-estate\/nar-profile-of-home-buyers-and-sellers\/","title":{"rendered":"What NAR\u2019s 2020\u20132025 Research Reveals About Home Buyers and Sellers"},"content":{"rendered":"
Real Estate \u00b7 Updated September 2026<\/div>

What NAR\u2019s 2020\u20132025 Research Reveals About Home Buyers and Sellers<\/h1><\/header>

In short<\/p>

  • First-time buyers hit a record low<\/strong>: they were just 21% of buyers in the 2025 Profile, and their median age rose to 40.<\/li>
  • Agents still handle most sales<\/strong>: 88% of buyers bought through an agent and 91% of sellers sold with one.<\/li>
  • Down payments are high<\/strong>: first-time buyers put down a median 10%, matching the highest level since 1989, while repeat buyers put down 23%.<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/section>

    The National Association of Realtors\u2019 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers<\/em><\/a> is one of the most widely referenced annual reports on U.S. residential real estate behavior. Published each year, the NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers tracks how buyers and sellers navigate the market, covering topics such as demographics, home preferences, financing, search behavior, agent use, and selling experience.<\/p>\n

    This article brings together findings from the 2020 to 2025 editions to show how buyer and seller behavior changed over time.<\/p>\n

    As of September 2026, the 2025 edition is still NAR\u2019s most recent Profile. It covers buyers and sellers who completed a transaction between July 2024 and June 2025. Each of the six editions covered here was released in November, so the 2026 edition is expected in November 2026.<\/p>\n

    NAR\u2019s 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends<\/em><\/a> report, released in April 2026, draws on the same survey and reports the same headline figures, including the record-low 21% share of first-time buyers and 88% of buyers purchasing through an agent.<\/p>\n

    Looking across six years makes it easier to spot broader shifts in the market, including changes in first-time buyer participation, financing patterns, search timelines, and reliance on real estate agents.<\/p>\n

    The table below summarizes several of the clearest trends across those six reports. The sections that follow examine these changes in more detail.<\/p>\n

    Category<\/th> 2020<\/th> 2021<\/th> 2022<\/th> 2023<\/th> 2024<\/th> 2025<\/th> <\/tr> <\/thead>
    Median Home Size (sq. ft.)<\/th> 1,900<\/td>1,900<\/td>1,800<\/td>1,860<\/td>1,900<\/td>1,900<\/td> <\/tr>
    Median Year Home Built<\/th> 1993<\/td>1993<\/td>1986<\/td>1985<\/td>1994<\/td>1994<\/td> <\/tr>
    Median Duration of the Search (Weeks)<\/th> 8<\/td>8<\/td>10<\/td>10<\/td>10<\/td>10<\/td> <\/tr>
    Online Search as the First Step (%)<\/th> 43<\/td>41<\/td>47<\/td>41<\/td>43<\/td>46<\/td> <\/tr>
    Buyers Using Agents (%)<\/th> 88<\/td>87<\/td>86<\/td>89<\/td>88<\/td>88<\/td> <\/tr>
    Sellers Using Agents (%)<\/th> 89<\/td>90<\/td>86<\/td>89<\/td>90<\/td>91<\/td> <\/tr>
    Buyers Financing Homes (%)<\/th> 88<\/td>87<\/td>78<\/td>80<\/td>74<\/td>74<\/td> <\/tr>
    Proportion of First-Time Buyers (%)<\/th> 31<\/td>34<\/td>26<\/td>32<\/td>24<\/td>21<\/td> <\/tr>
    Proportion of Repeat Buyers (%)<\/th> 69<\/td>66<\/td>74<\/td>68<\/td>76<\/td>79<\/td> <\/tr> <\/tbody> <\/table>

    Swipe the table sideways to see all years \u2192<\/p><\/div><\/section>