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Young Buyers
How Gen Z is reordering life’s milestones
#135
WELCOME
Physicians are on the hunt for passive profit. Real estate has become an especially popular secondary income source for medical professionals. According to Medscape’s Physician ‘Side Gig’ Report, real estate sales, REITs, and rentals are the most common secondary source of income for physicians—proof that even people who work in one high-stakes profession can still be drawn to a second one.
The meteoric growth at Compass—while an incredible success story for the company and the agents that power it—has sparked its share of controversy. In merging nine real estate mega-brands, has Compass created a mini-monopoly? Are Compass agents using the power of the parent brand to drive up commissions? Will the tech tools Compass uses eventually replace the very agents it brings in? Rory Gallod, the energetic President of Growth at Compass sat down with Glennda to answer these controversial questions and more—and explain how smart technology will enable their best agents to do even more.
TRACK THE MARKET: Gen Z is moving into the neighborhood
Gen Z may still make up a small share of the total housing market, but the young buyers who are finding their way could teach a lesson to the generations before them. According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report, more than half of the Gen Z buyers who successfully purchase a home do so with their own finances. For these young buyers, the path to homeownership doesn’t follow marriage or other milestones—it is the milestone that matters to them. And they’re willing to use any programs, information, downpayment assistance, and social media advice they can find to get there faster.
Key highlights from the report:
Among buyers ages 18 to 26, 53% bought a home alone (single ownership), including 35% single women and 18% single men. That’s a major jump from earlier generations. In NAR’s 2013 generational report, just 22% of homebuyers aged 32 and younger were single.
A full 17% of Gen Z buyers were unmarried couples, which is the highest share among all generations measured.
Gen Z is still a small part of the market overall. The generation accounted for just 4% of all buyers, while first-time buyers made up only 21% of home purchases, the lowest share recorded since NAR began tracking the data in 1981.
DIVE IN
The Friday Five
📖 Naked truth. Why this Silicon Valley nudist resort just won’t sell.
👀 Hello Hawaii. Tour Lisa Marie Presley’s rare Hawaiian estate with architectural details that can’t be recreated today.
👀 Short sale. See the Encino mansion Michael B. Jordan bought and sold in barely a year.
💡 No ‘Secret Sauce’. The secret to success in real estate? The only thing that really works is hard work.
💡A+ for A-frames. Why A-frame architecture makes a great investment property.
WHAT’S NEW FROM ESTATE MEDIA
Taking the glamour out of growth
Julia Wang is the founder of NextGen Real Estate and an undeniably outspoken social media voice redefining how traditional agents and brokers serve their clients. When her “big box brokerage” repeatedly discouraged her from using video to share listings, she launched her own video-friendly brokerage in Houston—which grew from 60 to 250 agents within just two years.
Social media is her marketing channel of choice, but the way Julia uses it isn’t exactly what you’d expect. Tap to catch this quick interview on Rise Above the Ranks to find out how she found ‘her people’ (and keeps them), embraces being different, and manages to continually connect with her 750M followers.
FEATURED LUXURY LISTING
TIPS & TAKEAWAYS
Quote of the week
Are your systems supporting you—or draining your budget? Sneaky subscription costs, redundant tools, and downloads that don’t do their job add dollars to your monthly expenses (and add up faster than you think).
Glennda’s best advice for the season:
“Spring cleaning is about getting honest. If it’s not making you money, it’s not a system you keep.”
HANGS & HAPPENINGS
The Gathering by HousingWire | Austin, TX | April 27 - 30, 2026
This event for mortgage professionals, brokerage leaders, and investors connects you with some of the most powerful and prominent executives in the housing industry. Hear from experts on housing policy, real estate solutions, affordability opportunities, investments, and more.
Inman Luxury Connect | San Diego, CA | July 27 - 28, 2026
The industry’s premier event for elite agents and brokers in the luxury space hosts immersive discussions, interactive workshops, top-tier networking events, and a roster of speakers including James Harris, Jason Oppenheim, and Jade Mills.
Before we go…
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