Short excerpt: Gen Z may travel, rent and value flexibility before buying a home—but that does not mean this generation has rejected property. It means real estate must fit a different life.
We often hear that Gen Z is interested only in experiences: travel, food, technology, concerts and flexible living. The conclusion usually follows that this generation will not invest in real estate. In my view, that conclusion is too easy.
After more than 25 years around property and business, I do not believe the desire for a secure home has disappeared. What has changed is the order in which younger people want to live, work and commit their money.
The facts point to delay, not rejection
Deloitte’s 2026 Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey, published on 13 May and based on more than 22,500 respondents across 44 countries, found that 55% of Gen Z respondents were delaying major life decisions because of their financial situation. The survey also reported that housing availability or affordability directly affects where many younger people can work and the career decisions they make.
Those findings do not prove that Gen Z dislikes ownership. They show that financial pressure and mobility are influencing timing. Someone building a career across cities, working remotely or managing education debt will naturally hesitate before accepting a long mortgage and a fixed location.
That is a reported finding. My interpretation is that Gen Z is not necessarily anti-property; it is anti-premature commitment.
Experiences and assets are not enemies
An experience can build confidence, relationships and understanding. Travel may expose a young person to new cities and cultures. A professional course may improve earning capacity. Even living independently on rent can teach responsibility.
But experiences should not become an excuse to avoid long-term financial planning. A holiday creates memories; it does not create a reserve for an emergency. A fashionable rented address offers flexibility; it does not automatically build an asset.
The sensible question is not, “Should I enjoy life or buy property?” It is, “How do I enjoy the present without leaving my future completely unplanned?”
Gen Z will judge property differently
Earlier generations often accepted a standard apartment and looked mainly at size, price and expected appreciation. Younger buyers examine the complete experience: commute time, shared spaces, digital connectivity, maintenance quality, safety, sustainability and whether the home can adapt to work and family life.
They also expect information quickly. They want to compare projects online, understand charges clearly and see evidence instead of only promises. Developers who dismiss these expectations as impatience will misunderstand the customer.
In my view, Gen Z will not buy simply because someone says property is always a good investment. It will ask whether a particular property is useful, financially sensible and suited to an uncertain career path. That is a healthy question.
Real estate must become a service, not only a structure
The industry should learn from hospitality, co-working and technology. A building is not complete merely because the concrete work is finished. The daily experience of living there—maintenance, security, mobility, community and responsiveness—becomes part of the product.
Smaller but well-designed homes may appeal more than unnecessarily large spaces. Rental housing, managed residences, flexible commercial areas and mixed-use neighbourhoods may become more relevant. Ownership models may also need to recognise that careers are more mobile than they were twenty years ago.
This does not mean every trend should be followed blindly. Good property still depends on legal clarity, location, infrastructure, construction quality and a realistic price. I have written separately about why infrastructure matters more than headlines in NCR real estate. Those fundamentals remain important for every generation.
Young buyers also need discipline
The real-estate industry must change, but Gen Z has responsibilities too. Social media can make every lifestyle appear essential and every investment appear urgent. Neither is true.
Before buying, a young person should examine job stability, emergency savings, the total cost of ownership and how long they genuinely expect to remain in that location. Before deciding never to buy, they should also calculate what repeated rent and unplanned consumption may mean over ten or fifteen years.
A first home does not need to be a dream home. Sometimes it is simply the first disciplined step towards financial stability. Equally, buying too early, at the wrong price or with excessive debt can create stress rather than security.
My conclusion
I believe Gen Z will invest in real estate, but later, more selectively and with less emotional pressure than many earlier buyers. It will first seek mobility, experiences and career growth, then choose property that supports that life rather than restricting it.
The opportunity for the real-estate sector is not to convince young people to copy their parents. It is to understand how they live now and create transparent, flexible and genuinely useful property for them.
Gen Z is not ending the idea of ownership. It is asking ownership to earn its place.
Sources and context
Current generational findings were checked against Deloitte’s 2026 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, published on 13 May 2026, and its related press material. The observations about property, consumer expectations and financial discipline are my personal perspective, informed by more than 25 years in business.
— Tushar Kumar