NAHB Releases New Edition of What Home Buyers Really Want
At the recent 2024 International Builders' Show (IBS), NAHB released the 2024 edition of What Home Buyers Really Want, which delves into ever-evolving home buying preferences.
Based on a nationwide survey of recent and prospective home buyers, the new edition of the popular report highlights the pandemic’s impact on home buyer priorities and the changing landscape of home trends.
As buyers redefine what home means to them in a post-pandemic world, home builders will need to navigate this new era of housing demands and understand the shifts in buyer expectations. What Home Buyers Really Want explores everything from architectural features to technological advancements using indispensable data and research.
The report also examines how factors like age, race and ethnicity, location, and income influence the buying decision so builders can tailor offerings to meet the diverse needs of today’s buyers.
What Home Buyers Really Want is available for purchase now on BuilderBooks.com.
Latest from NAHBNow
Feb 25, 2026
Is the Decline in Young Adult-Led Households a Cyclical Slip or the New Normal?The headship rates among young adults — the share of adults ages 25-34 heading their own households — declined in 2024 to 43.7% after a post-pandemic jump. Are cyclical factors causing household rates to fluctuate, or is the data pointing to a new long-term trend?
Feb 25, 2026
NAHB Legal Action Fund Awards $125,000 in Legal Support at IBSAt its recent meeting at the 2026 International Builders’ Show in Orlando, the NAHB Legal Action Committee reviewed requests for Legal Action Fund assistance and recommended a total of $125,000 in legal grants which was approved by the NAHB Board of Directors.
Latest Economic News
Feb 25, 2026
Housing’s Share of GDP Declined Further at the End of 2025Housing’s share of the economy was 16.0% in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the latest estimates of GDP produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This share is down from 16.1% in the third quarter and is also lower than 16.3% as registered just one year ago.
Feb 24, 2026
Young Adult Headship Rates in 2024: Cyclical Slip or New Equilibrium?Reversing the post-pandemic rebound, the headship rates among young adults (the share of the population heading their own households) declined in 2024, according to NAHB’s analysis of the American Community Survey (ACS) data.
Feb 23, 2026
A 25-Basis-Point Decline in the Mortgage Rate Prices-In 1.42 Million HouseholdsHousing affordability remains a critical challenge nationwide, and mortgage rates continue to play a central role in shaping homebuying power. Although rates have declined from the recent peak of about 7.6% in 2023 to around 6.01% as of February 19,2026, they remain elevated relative to typical levels in the 2010s.