If you’re thinking about selling your house, you may be asking a straightforward question: Are there buyers who want it?
Higher mortgage rates can make buying a home more challenging. But that does not mean everyone has stopped looking, or that every buyer is unable to make a move. Many millennials are eager and able to buy, whether they’re purchasing their first home or moving up.
Millennials have been called the “renter generation.” That label does not tell the whole story. As the largest generation, they represent a significant source of homebuyer demand. Their interest in ownership, education and earning power help explain why.
Look Beyond the “Renter Generation” Label
A generation can be known for renting without giving up on homeownership. That distinction matters if you’re deciding whether to put your house on the market.
The original renter label suggests millennials are primarily interested in staying renters. Yet the research and commentary cited in the original article describe a generation actively pursuing homeownership.
Some are looking for a first home. Others already own and want to move up. So the opportunity for sellers is not limited to one type of millennial buyer or one stage of the homebuying journey.
The practical takeaway is simple: Do not assume a renter label means a lack of buyer interest. Your house may be what someone in this generation is looking for.
Education Helps Explain Millennial Buying Power
One reason many millennials are positioned to buy is the value they place on education.
First American has described millennials as potentially the most educated generation in the nation’s history. Its analysis connects that pursuit of education with higher wages and, in turn, greater homebuying power.
Odeta Kushi, identified in the original article as Deputy Chief Economist at First American, explained that connection using median household income figures for millennials with different levels of education.
What the Cited Income Figures Show
The historical income comparison cited in the original article reported:
- Millennials with a bachelor’s degree had median household income above $100,000.
- Millennials with at least a graduate degree had median household income above $120,000.
- Millennials with a high school degree or some college had median household income of $60,000.
These figures belong to the comparison cited in the original source. They are not presented here as updated income estimates or as a description of every millennial household.
Kushi’s point was that the earning-power benefits of higher education were clear in that comparison. She also described millennials’ pursuit of higher education as good news for housing because of the connection between education, earning power and homeownership.
Why Earnings Matter for Affordability
Wages are one of the key factors in home affordability. Higher earnings can help buyers work toward their homeownership goals, even when mortgage rates make the purchase more challenging.
That does not erase the affordability challenge described in the original article. It explains why that challenge does not affect every potential buyer in the same way.
For a seller, the useful distinction is between a difficult buying environment and a complete absence of buyers. Those are not the same thing. Many millennials still have both the desire and the ability to purchase a home.
The Size of the Generation Matters, Too
Education and earnings are only part of the story. The number of potential millennial buyers also matters.
As the largest generation, millennials represent a substantial group of people who may pursue homeownership. The original article points to studies examining their views on ownership and their potential to shape housing demand for years to come.
A Forbes article cited in the original post described the generation as about 80 million strong. It also referenced a National Association of Realtors report in which millennials represented 43% of U.S. homebuyers, the largest share in that report.
Those are figures from the cited reporting, not a claim that the same buyer share applies in every market or reporting period. Their role in the original argument was to show the scale of millennial participation in homebuying.
The Forbes commentary described millennials as savvy, nimble buyers pursuing real estate ownership. It argued that their numbers and eagerness to own were helping shape the homebuying process.
The writer also expressed the view that millennials were central to the housing industry’s overall health and stability. That was the author’s assessment, reinforcing the article’s broader point about this generation’s importance.
Slower Demand Does Not Mean Demand Has Disappeared
The original article described buyer demand easing in the face of higher mortgage rates. Its central message was not that affordability concerns were unimportant. It was that those concerns had not eliminated demand from every buyer.
That distinction is worth keeping in mind when considering a sale. Less intense activity and no activity are two different things.
Mark Fleming, identified in the original article as Chief Economist at First American, explained that millennials would continue aging into their prime homebuying years. He described that demographic movement as a tailwind for housing, even without the frenzy of an earlier market.
In plain English, the generation’s size and movement into homebuying years help explain why millennials remain relevant to sellers. A quieter market does not erase their interest in owning a home.
What This Means for Your Selling Decision
Millennials are interested in homeownership, and many are positioned to pursue it. Their education, earning power and sheer numbers support the original article’s message: Potential buyers have not simply disappeared.
That is not a promise that your house will sell or that a particular buyer will qualify. It is a reason to look beyond broad labels and assumptions before deciding against a sale.
As a practical next step, write down your questions about selling, buyer affordability and any home purchase you may make afterward. Reach out to Ed Parcaut to talk through the mortgage side of your plans and what you want to understand before making your next move.
