The 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

After 35 years of data collection, what do buyers and sellers look like in 2016?

HOME BUYER

The typical buyer in 2016 was 44 years old for 3rd straight year in a row.
In 1981 the typical buyer was between ages of 25 – 34.

66% of recent buyers was married couples, 17% were single females,
7% were single men, and 8% were unmarried couples.

Buyers of new homes made up 14% and buyers of previously owned homes made up 86%.

Detached single-family homes continue to be the most common home type for recent buyers at 83%.

88% of buyers recently purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker.

The typical home seller was 54 years old in 2016.

Seller typically lived in their home for 10 years before selling, an increase
from 9 years in last year’s report.

Recently sold homes were on the market for a median of 4 weeks.

Only 8% of recent homes sales were FSBO sales again this year. For the 2nd year,
this is the lowest share recorded since this report started in 1981.

89% of home sellers worked with a real estate agent to seller their home.