America’s residential real estate market has hit a series of unfortunate new records this year, with the age of the median first-time homebuyer skyrocketing.

The typical new homeowner is officially 40 years old, according to new data released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) as part of their annual profile of homebuyers and home sellers.

The median age is a high watermark for the U.S. real estate market, up from 38 years old in 2024 and 33 years old in 2020.

In a new low since NAR began tracking this data in 1981, first-time buyers who signed along the dotted line in 2025 made up just 21% of all U.S. home purchases.

First-timer households earned a median income of $94,400 in 2025, marking a slight decline from last year’s report.

These buyers have had to budget for econ

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