Americans are finally ready to move again. After years of housing market paralysis, exclusive CivicScience data reveal a clear upward trend in both selling and buying intentions, signaling the emergence of significant pent-up demand that could reshape the 2025 real estate landscape. But with more demand to buy and more sellers looking to list in the coming year in today’s uncertain economic climate, will intended buyers be able to take the plunge? Or will market conditions and other economic factors lead to too much inventory and buyers backing out?
The Numbers Tell the Story
CivicScience’s continuous tracking of housing intentions, based on responses from over 776,000 Americans since 2020, shows a notable uptick in selling sentiment throughout 2024 and into 2025. The percentage of homeowners considering listing their homes in the next six months has gradually increased from pandemic lows, with the trend accelerating in recent months (up three percentage points from last quarter). It’s the most significant quarter-by-quarter shift we’ve seen since 2021.
Similarly, buying intentions have shown not only resilience but growth, with the percentage of Americans planning to purchase residential property within the next year rising steadily to 28% despite economic headwinds. The uptick in buying appetite for the next year and the recent uptick in selling intent suggest a significant pool of pent-up demand ready to activate.
Who’s Ready to Move
The data reveals distinct patterns in who’s driving this emerging demand among sellers and buyers alike, offering valuable insights for brands, lenders, and related service providers looking to understand their target markets.
Join the conversation: Are you in the market to buy a home?
Sellers Leading the Charge
Among those planning to sell their homes from April 2025 onward, the demographic profile is heavily family-focused:
- Geographic concentration: The South dominates with 43% of potential sellers, followed by the Northeast (20%), the Midwest (19%), and the West (18%)
- Urban vs. suburban split: Nearly even between city dwellers (40%) and suburban residents (39%), with rural areas representing 18%
- Family-centric: 75% are parents or grandparents, with 52% being parents and 23% grandparents
- Age sweet spot: The 25-44 age group represents nearly half (49%) of potential sellers, followed by under-25 (22%) and 45-64 (20%)
Buyers Show Different Demographics
The buyer pool reveals some interesting contrasts:
- Regional distribution: Also South-heavy at 45%, but with slightly different proportions across other regions
- Area preferences: More evenly split between cities (37%) and suburbs (37%), with rural buyers at 22%
- Younger skew: A full 76% are under 45, with the 25-44 group representing half of all buyers (50%) and under-25 buyers comprising 26%
- Mixed family status: More diverse than sellers, with 43% parents, 34% neither parents nor grandparents, and 23% grandparents
The Millennial Factor
The age demographics reveal a crucial insight: Millennials are driving both sides of the equation. The 25-44 age bracket, which encompasses most millennials, represents the largest segment of both buyers (50%) and sellers (49%). This suggests many are finally ready to make moves they may have delayed during the pandemic and subsequent economic uncertainty.
Geographic Hotspots
The South’s dominance in both buyer and seller categories (43-45%) suggests this region may see the most activity as pent-up demand releases. This aligns with broader migration patterns toward Sun Belt states and could indicate where real estate professionals should focus their resources.
The Financial Confidence Factor
Perhaps most telling is how comfortable these prospective buyers and sellers are with their debt levels—a crucial indicator of actual purchasing power behind the stated intentions.
Among potential home sellers, financial confidence runs high: 68% report being ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ comfortable with their current debt levels, with only 11% expressing discomfort. This suggests sellers aren’t driven by financial distress but rather by choice and opportunity.
Buyers show a different, more cautious profile: exactly 50% are comfortable with their debt situation, while 21% are uncomfortable—nearly double the rate of sellers. This split reveals a market where sellers have stronger financial positioning, potentially giving them leverage in negotiations and the flexibility to be selective about offers.
The debt comfort gap between buyers and sellers (68% vs 50%) could be a defining characteristic of the emerging market, suggesting:
- Sellers may have pricing power due to their stronger financial position
- Buyer competition may intensify among the financially comfortable half
- Financing solutions and affordability programs could be crucial for capturing the less comfortable buyer segments
Market Implications
The demographic overlap between buyers and sellers in key categories, combined with the financial confidence disparity, suggests we may see significant “move-up” activity as financially secure millennials trade starter homes for family-sized properties. Meanwhile, the substantial number of young buyers indicates continued first-time buyer activity, though split between the financially confident and those stretching to enter the market.
For real estate adjacent industries, the data points to clear opportunities:
- Moving and logistics companies should prepare for increased activity, particularly in southern markets
- Home improvement retailers may benefit from both pre-sale renovations and post-purchase improvements
- Financial services should gear up for lending activity across age groups, with particular focus on the 25-44 demographic
The Road Ahead
While the data shows promising signs of market movement, the actual release of this pent-up demand will likely depend on broader economic factors, including mortgage rates, employment stability, and housing inventory levels. However, the demographic clarity in the data provides a roadmap for businesses looking to position themselves to reach the high-intent buyers and sellers..
The key insight for advertisers and service providers is clear: the demand is there, identifiable, and ready to move. The question is no longer whether Americans want to buy and sell homes—it’s whether the market conditions will align to let them act on those intentions.
Ready to Reach These Ready-to-Move Consumers?
The data reveals where housing demand is emerging and exactly who these motivated buyers and sellers are. From financially confident millennials in the South ready to upgrade, to young urban professionals taking their first homeownership step, these aren’t abstract market trends—they’re targetable audiences with clear demographic profiles and distinct financial comfort levels.
For advertising partners and businesses in the real estate ecosystem: This granular consumer intelligence can transform how you reach and serve these high-intent audiences. Whether you’re targeting the 68% of financially confident sellers with premium services or the 50% of debt-comfortable buyers with accessible financing solutions, precision targeting has never been more data-driven.
