Buyers who buy their first home at age 30 have a 22.5% higher return by age 50 than those who wait until age 40 — a difference of about $119,000, according to Realtor.com data.
However for small buyers, entering the housing market has become more difficult. The average age of a first-time homebuyer will increase from 30 in 1990 to 40 in 2025 as home prices outpace income growth, the report said. While there is industry debate about whether age 40 is the true average age for first-time homebuyers, many think it is low.
That change is reshaping the way agents talk about the value of homeownership — especially when trying to reach younger buyers who are navigating affordability concerns and doubts about the housing market.
Towanna Peterson-Jackson, who leads the Detroit-based group The Peterson Jackson team is listed by eXp Realtyhe said his team is focused on reinforcing the idea that small buyers can still enter the market – even amid growing barriers.
“We have always been at the forefront of our marketing because of the area we work in, which is metro Detroit,” he said. HousingWire. “It’s an urban background.” So when we advertise, when we market, when we talk to our consumers, we always want to lead by saying, ‘You can do it and you can get help to do it.’ “
Programs that lower the initial barrier to entry – such as The FHA loan, VA loans and down payment assistance — are often central to that message, Peterson-Jackson added.
Agents also emphasize the financial cost of delaying homeownership mentioned by Realtor.com.
“If you wait, you lose wealth because that’s equity you don’t get,” said Peterson Jackson Team Leader LaShawn Peterson-Jackson. “If you wait until you’re 40, you lose equity, and you lose time, because now you’re 40 and most homes take 30 years to pay off, so you’ll be 70 when you decide to pay it off.
Positioning home ownership as one component of wealth building
Marketing to younger generations often requires acknowledging that many consumers see multiple paths to financial success — from entrepreneurship to investing to digital jobs, the group’s leaders added.
Towanna said his team positions home ownership as part of a broader financial strategy.
“The home you will use is one of the things that will help you build wealth in life,” he said. “I stick with that because, with the younger generation, there’s a lot of other ways to do that. We talk about being a facilitator. You can make money by saving and looking at an insurance option. We’re just trying to package it like, ‘This is just one piece of the puzzle.’
Sustainability is another part of the message, LaShawn said.
“During those months when you are settled and not worried about housing, you can focus on other ways to build wealth,” he said. “Looking back at my journey and how I was settled with my children, I was worried about my work and getting all the things they needed.
“I didn’t have to worry about where we were going to live or if my landlord was going to renew my lease, or if my rent was going to go up.”
Education and community outreach
Agents also rely heavily on education and community outreach to reach potential first-time buyers — especially in communities where homeownership has historically been less common.
The intergenerational wealth report found that real estate wealth is often passed down from generation to generation. Children raised in homeownership households are 18.4 percent more likely to be homeowners themselves by age 35.
But that benefit is unevenly distributed.
By 2025, the homeownership rate stood at 75.1% for white households compared to 44.2% for Black households and 48.7% for Hispanic households.
LaShawn said community workshops are one way his company helps fill those gaps.
“We sold a house to a lady a few years ago and her mother has been renting the same house since 1984,” he said. “He was the first in his family to own a house, we were able to find him using the house buying workshop.
“These discussions take place all over the city all the time, we inform people how to buy houses, we are in churches, we are in public places, we have them here in our office. Whether it is two people or 200 people, we want to give them the best guidance.
Education also extends to digital platforms, where younger buyers are increasingly looking for real estate information.
“We’re on social media. We’re always talking about it on social media, and we’ve trained our team of agents to do the same thing and deliver the same message.”
Changing perceptions, facing fear
Aside from the affordability challenges, agents say younger buyers often bear the brunt of the anxiety caused by the current housing and economic crisis.
“We’re used to dealing with children of danger (in 2008), said LaShawn. For people whose families have lost their homes, they’re older, and many of them are afraid (to buy a home) because they’ve watched their parents lose their homes.”
Towanna said education remains the most effective way to overcome that fear.
His team also works to connect buyers with reputable lenders and credit counseling services – helping them prepare financially before entering the market.
“It’s about working with credit repair people who aren’t there to take your money, like, ‘Send me $1,000 and I’ll increase your credit score.’ Don’t do that,” he said. “You want to work with someone who will help you teach you how to get good credit, how to get good consumer credit and what that looks like over the years.”
Finally, agents say the younger buyers start learning about home ownership, the more likely they are to see it as a reality.
“LaShawn and I have one of the few groups that go to schools, elementary schools, to explain about buying a house,” said Towanna. “People say, ‘Why would you talk to a third grader about buying a house?’ It is because people remember those people who came to their school in the third and fourth grade and the message they left with them.”
