Investor Buying Stays Elevated: What 2025 Data Says About 2026 Homebuyer Competition

Investor activity is holding up — even as overall sales stay softer

New research suggests that investor participation in single-family housing is proving more durable than many buyers expected after the 2021 frenzy cooled. In a February 2026 update, Cotality estimated that investors accounted for about **30% of all single-family home purchases** at the close of 2025, slightly higher than the end of 2024. It also noted investor buying held in a relatively steady monthly range late in 2025 and that the gap between investor and owner-occupant purchases narrowed meaningfully over the past four years. [worldpropertyjournal.com] [cotality.com]

One reason: investors can often move faster than financed buyers. Cotality’s update highlighted the importance of **all-cash** deals in a high-rate environment, where sellers may accept concessions and speed/certainty can win. [cotality.com]

Ownership is widespread — and mostly small portfolios

Purchase share is only one lens. Another is how much of the existing housing stock is already held by investors. A BatchData/CJ Patrick Company analysis (as cited by ABC30 Fresno) estimates **about 18% of U.S. homes are owned by investors**, with California slightly lower at 17%. The same segment emphasized that **over 90%** of investor-owned single-family homes are held by “mom-and-pop” investors (often one to five properties). [abc30.com]

BatchData’s own Investor Pulse release similarly places investor ownership at roughly **18% of the nation’s ~86 million single-family homes**, while describing institutional (1,000+ homes) ownership as a small slice of the market. [prnewswire.com]

The real story is concentration: examples from Central California and Miami

National averages can hide big local spikes. In California’s Central Valley and adjacent counties, the BatchData figures cited by ABC30 highlight a patchwork of investor presence:

• **Fresno County:** 18% investor-owned
• **Tulare County:** 23% investor-owned
• **Merced County:** 25% investor-owned
• **Mariposa County:** 42% investor-owned (a tourism- and second-home-heavy market) [abc30.com]

Miami shows a different angle: investor influence through financing patterns. A WLRN report on an HMDA-based analysis found investors obtained **17% of residential mortgages in the Miami metro**, versus a **9.4% national average**, putting Miami at the top of the 71 large metros studied. That matters because it signals unusually intense investor competition in the same mortgage channels many owner-occupants rely on. [wlrn.org]

What homebuyers should watch next

For buyers, the practical takeaway is that investor competition isn’t a uniform “national” force — it’s often concentrated in specific price points, neighborhoods, or counties. Markets with high investor ownership can see tighter inventory for owner-occupants and a larger share of homes moving into the rental pool over time.

If rates stay elevated, the incentive structure that supports investor activity (cash advantage, rental-demand durability, and buying below list) may persist. If rates ease materially, more owner-occupants may re-enter — which could reduce investor share without necessarily lowering prices quickly. Either way, tracking **local investor share** alongside inventory and price cuts is one of the best ways to understand how competitive your submarket will feel in 2026. [cotality.com]