Prospective Buyers Continue to Turn into Active Buyers
Of the 17% of American adults who were considering a future home purchase in the second quarter of 2021, more than half (61%) have moved beyond just planning and are now actively trying to buy.
This share of active buyers has increased for six straight quarters, a trend that began after the final quarter of 2019 when it stood at 43%.
In the past year and a half, several factors have contributed to turning more prospective buyers into active ones, namely: low mortgage rates, desire for more space and desire for a new location in the suburbs/exurbs.
Furthermore, the share of prospective buyers who are actively searching for a home has grown in every region of the U.S. From the final quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2021, the share went from 46% to 66% in the Northeast, 40% to 50% in the Midwest, 43% to 58% in the South and 40% to 72% in the West.
Rose Quint, NAHB assistant vice president for survey research, provides more insight in this Eye on Housing blog post.
Latest from NAHBNow
Workforce Development
Apr 08, 2026
Tuition-Free Alabama Trades Academy Backed by Key Community SupportAs part of a statewide effort to expand trades education, the Home Builders Association of Metro Mobile (HBAMM) launched the South Alabama Homebuilding Academy (SAHA), an eight-week, tuition-free program to prepare adults for careers in residential construction.
Codes and Standards
Apr 07, 2026
ICC Public Comment Hearings on Proposed Building Code Changes Begin April 19The International Code Council (ICC) will hold its combined Public Comment Hearings for the 2024-2027 code cycle beginning April 19 in Hartford, Conn. NAHB members interested in building codes are encouraged to attend or watch a livestream of the hearings.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Apr 07, 2026
Rising Rates Weigh on Mortgage ActivityMortgage application activity decreased month-over-month as the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, declined 4.3% from February on a seasonally adjusted basis but remained 30.8% higher than a year earlier.
Economics
Apr 06, 2026
Which States and Construction Trades Depend the Most on Immigrant Workers?Immigrants’ share of the construction workforce reached a record high in 2024, with foreign-born workers accounting for more than a quarter of the industry’s labor force (26.3%). The share is even higher among construction trades, for which one in three craftsmen is foreign-born.
Economics
Apr 03, 2026
Job Growth Rebounds in MarchThe U.S. labor market showed signs of a modest rebound in March following a weak February, as payroll employment increased and the unemployment rate edged down to 4.3%. Job growth was led by healthcare, construction, and transportation and warehousing.