These Are the Cities Where Investors Are Buying Up the Most Real Estate

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24/7 Wall St. Insights

  • Corporate investors dominate many metropolitan housing markets, accounting for more than 1 in 5 home purchases in several major metro areas.
  • High investor homebuying activity can drive up housing costs and sideline would-be local buyers.
  • Investor activity is highest in Florida, but has cooled off in recent years.
  • Investors are also targeting relatively affordable markets with older housing stock like Cleveland and Detroit.
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Over the last several years, investor homebuying activity has declined in tandem with elevated interest rates, rising economic uncertainty, and an overall slowdown in homebuying demand. But investors still make up a significant share of homebuying activity across the country, accounting for more than one in five home purchases in several major metro areas. In many cities, robust investor activity is driving up home prices and limiting housing supply for local buyers.

The cities with the most investor activity are in booming housing markets with fast-growing populations and a high degree of new construction activity. Florida is home to several major investor-dominated markets, although investor activity has declined in recent years in hotspots like Miami, Jacksonville, and Fort Lauderdale. Investors are also targeting relatively affordable markets with older housing stock like Cleveland and Detroit, potentially sidelining would-be local homebuyers in the area. A closer look at the data reveals the cities where investors are buying up the most real estate.

To determine the cities where investors are buying up the most homes, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed real estate data from Redfin. Metropolitan statistical areas were ranked based on the share of homes sold from January 2000 to December 2024 that were purchased by investors. Investor attributions are based on county sale records, and are defined as any buyer whose name includes either LLC, Inc, Trust, Corp, Homes, association, corporate trustee, company, joint venture, or corporate trust as a keyword. Only the 50 most populous metro areas are included in the analysis.

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  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 10.8%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $300,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $500.5 million

LoweStock / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 11.3%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $875,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $745.3 million

DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 11.9%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $480,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $623.0 million

Davel5957 / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 12.0%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $205,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $192.6 million

4nadia / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 12.2%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $513,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $355.1 million

DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 12.4%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $455,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $373.0 million

Gian Lorenzo Ferretti Photography / E+ via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 12.9%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $270,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $758.2 million

Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 13.9%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $527,800
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $841.0 million

Jon Mattrisch / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 14.9%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $172,550
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $162.3 million

traveler1116 / E+ via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 15.5%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $209,950
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $226.7 million

Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 16.3%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $371,500
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $589.3 million

bluejayphoto / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 16.5%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $1,100,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $1.1 billion

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 16.9%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $175,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $205.9 million

Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 17.1%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $188,250
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $356.5 million

SpVVK / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 17.4%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $1,760,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $1.3 billion

DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 17.5%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $800,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $3.3 billion

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 18.4%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $265,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $1.1 billion

Sundry Photography / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 18.5%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $600,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $859.9 million

miroslav_1 / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 18.5%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $560,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $1.3 billion

SkyViewsPhotography / Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 18.6%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $515,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $1.0 billion

Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 19.0%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $283,250
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $708.8 million

benedek / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 19.4%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $300,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $824.2 million

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 19.8%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $136,650
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $211.6 million
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 20.1%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $415,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $1.8 billion
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 20.1%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $89,900
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $136.4 million

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 20.4%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $400,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $816.3 million

Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 20.7%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $335,600
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $657.7 million
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 21.0%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $1,075,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $4.9 billion

Susanne Neumann / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 21.1%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $235,056
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $351.3 million
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 21.7%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $410,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $854.6 million

bluejayphoto / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 22.0%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $1,853,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $1.6 billion

Davel5957 / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 22.3%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $1,071,500
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $2.0 billion

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 23.5%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $118,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $232.4 million

MattGush / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 24.2%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $1,305,000
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $2.3 billion

mihtiander / iStock via Getty Images
  • Share of purchased homes bought by investors: 31.4%
  • Median purchase price of homes bought by investors: $499,300
  • Total value of homes bought by investors: $1.8 billion

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