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n Q2 2025, investors acquired 345,752 U.S. homes—33 % of all purchases—setting a five‑year high. Cash purchases made up 60 % of these deals, and 60 % of the homes sold by investors ultimately went to owner‑occupiers, indicating that investors are not merely flipping to other speculators. The average acquisition price was $455,481, below the national median of $512,800, reflecting a focus on properties needing work.

    The data reveal that investors own roughly one‑fifth of the country’s 86 million single‑family homes and townhouses—about 17 million units. However, the investor landscape is dominated by small‑scale operators: over 90 % of investor‑owned homes belong to landlords with fewer than 11 properties, while only 2.1 % are held by large corporate landlords owning 1,000 or more units. Nearly 95 % of investor inventory is controlled by landlords with 50 or fewer units, underscoring the prevalence of “mom‑and‑pop” investors.

    Large institutional players have been pulling back for six consecutive quarters, a strategic retreat rather than a market exit. This shift leaves a vacuum that smaller investors are filling, often seeking to build portfolios or specialize in particular locales. For real‑estate agents, this presents dual opportunities: guiding new investors through acquisition and helping them manage and sell completed flips, and connecting investors—who act as market stabilizers—to traditional homebuyers.

    The Q2 2025 Investor Pulse Report from BatchData reframes the investor class as a cohort of entrepreneurial, targeted acquirers rather than monolithic Wall Street landlords. Agents can leverage this trend by prospecting for investors looking to expand, thereby creating a pipeline of future transactions. As investors transition from passive market participants to strategic capital deployers, agents who understand both the investor mindset and local market dynamics will be well positioned to capture this evolving segment.