Investors now drive one-third of home purchases. If you’re not using this data, you’re guessing.
The market isn’t frozen—it’s moving without you. With financed buyers sidelined, investors captured 33% of Q2 purchases. Learn where they’re winning, what they’re paying, and how capital is shifting so you can act—not react.
33%
Market Share
265,000
Homes Purchased
150M+
U.S. Properties
1000+
Data Points
20,000+
BatchService Users
2021
Founded
About BatchData
Founded in 2021, BatchData is a comprehensive real estate data platform providing enterprise-grade APIs with access to 1000+ data points for over 150 million U.S. properties. Serving businesses from startups to Fortune 500 companies, BatchData delivers robust lead generation, AI predictive data, skip tracing, data enrichment, and seamless integrations with real-time updates and industry-leading accuracy.
Unlike static data aggregators, BatchData’s in-house data science team enriches datasets from multiple tier-one providers while leveraging real-time feedback from over 20,000 BatchService users to maintain the highest data quality standards in the industry.
This report is presented in conjunction with CJ Patrick Company.
95%
Small Operators
$513k
National Average
60%
Sold Back to Families
Q2
Pivoting to Build-to-Rent
Why this report matters
Find the edge:
Small operators—not mega funds—own 95% of investor homes. Learn how they source deals and price risk.
Buy value, not headlines:
Investors paid ~$455k vs ~$513k national average—older homes, less bidding-war pressure.
Know the exit: 60%
Know the exit: 60% of investor sales go back to families—plan renovations and dispositions with confidence.
Follow the money:
Follow the money: Institutions were net sellers in Q2 and are pivoting toward build-to-rent—leaving opportunity pockets for smaller portfolios.
Key Market Insights
Critical data points that define the current investor landscape in residential real estate – highest market share in at least five years
26.8%
Record Market Share
↑ 8.3% from 2020-2023 average
90%
Small Investor Control
1-10 properties per investor
39.9%
Hawaii Leadership
Tourism-driven market
$366,424
Avg. Purchase Price
Below market average
Market Share Surge Driven by Buyer Retreat
Investors captured 26.8% of home purchases in Q1 2025—the highest share in five quarters, and well above the five year average. This surge reflects a fundamental shift in market dynamics rather than explosive investor demand.
Market Contraction Effect
Overall home sales collapsed 30% from their 2021 peak of 6.9 million to just 4.8 million in 2023, creating a vacuum that investors increasingly filled.
Stable Investor Volume
Investor purchases remained relatively stable—growing only 9% from 1.1M annually to 1.2M in 2024.
Primary Liquidity Providers
Investors are currently one of the market's primary liquidity providers as traditional buyers struggle with affordability constraints.
What you’ll get inside
Market share map:
State leaders/laggards and the why behind each.
Cash vs. financing:
How liquidity is reshaping price and time-to-close.
Institutional shift:
Buy/sell counts, BTR acceleration, and where they’re pulling back.
Playbooks:
Four forward scenarios (rates, distress, affordability, policy) and how to position for each.
Proof & sources:
Transparent methodology and references—no black box.
The Smallest Investors Dominate Despite Institutional Headlines
Small investors control 90% of investor-owned housing, shattering conventional wisdom about institutional dominance.
Key Finding
The 15.6 million properties owned by investors holding 1-5 homes represent 85% of all investor inventory, while those with 6-10 properties add another 5%, bringing small investor control to 90% of the market.
Market Implication
This concentration pattern reflects accessibility rather than consolidation. Small investors benefit from lower capital requirements, local market knowledge, and operational flexibility that institutional players have difficulty replicating at scale.
Investor Property Ownership by Portfolio Size
| Portfolio Size | Properties Owned | Market Share | Trend |
| 1-5 Properties | 15,644,919 | 85% | ↑ Growing |
| 6-10 Properties | 905,881 | 5% | → Stable |
| 11-50 Properties | 1,001,207 | 5% | ↑ Growing |
| 50-100 Properties | 200,134 | 1.1% | → Flat |
| 100-1,000 Properties | 247,220 | 1.3% | ↓ Declining |
| 1,000+ Properties | 405,154 | 2.2% | ↓ Retreating |
Who should read this
Small investors control 90% of investor-owned housing, shattering conventional wisdom about institutional dominance.
Operators & small portfolios
Identify value segments where institutions are stepping back.
Lenders & capital partners
Underwrite faster with clear comps and exit paths.
Proptech & data teams:
Align product bets to where investor demand is actually moving.
Geographic Strategies Drive Concentration
While the largest states have the highest number of investor-owned homes, three distinct investment strategies drive the highest concentrations of investor ownership in other parts of the nation.
Tourism & Vacation Rentals
Hawaii
39.9%
Alaska
35.5%
Cash Flow & Affordability
Arkansas
30.0%
West Virginia
30.0%
Lifestyle & Migration
Vermont
30.0%
Wyoming
30.0%
Investor Ownership by State
Highest Investor Concentration
Hawaii
39.9%
Alaska
35.5%
Arkansas
30%
West Virginia
30%
Investment Strategy Insights
Tourism Markets
Hawaii's 30,000 short-term vacation rentals represent 5% of total housing inventory, capitalizing on millions of annual visitors.
Affordability Markets
Arkansas offers properties with average rents of $1,093 and landlord-friendly laws. West Virginia delivers the nation's most affordable housing at $112,902 median values with $3.2 billion in infrastructure investments through 2026.
Migration Markets
Vermont saw a 6.9% increase in farm numbers between 2012-2017, driven by urban-to-rural migration trends.
Regional Investment Patterns
Three states dominate investor ownership, accounting for nearly 25% of all investor homes nationwide
Leading States by Investor Properties
1
Texas
1.66M
Massive post-COVID migration
2
California
1.45M
Most populous state (40M+ residents)
3
Florida
1.21M
Major destination for interstate migration
Three Distinct Investment Strategies
Investor concentration follows clear economic fundamentals across different market types
Growth Markets
High population growth areas with strong job creation
Demographic Shifts
Market Fundamentals
Key Insight
Rather than random distribution, investor concentration follows clear economic fundamentals. Population growth, demographic shifts, and strong market fundamentals drive the highest concentrations of investor ownership across the nation.
What you can do with it next week
Three states dominate investor ownership, accounting for nearly 25% of all investor homes nationwide
1
Prioritize markets
With the highest investor win-rates.
2
Tighten offers
Using price deltas by asset age/condition.
3
De-risk exits
With disposition flows back to owner-occupants.
4
Adjust funding mix
Where cash dominates to cut fall-throughs.
Large Investors Execute Strategic Retreat
Mega-investors appear to be executing a coordinated retreat from single-family markets, selling 76% more properties than they purchased in Q1 2025.
4,200
Properties Sold
2,400
Properties Bought
Pricing Strategies Reveal Market Segmentation
$366,424
Average Investor Price
Below market average
$503,800
Market Average Price
All home sales
$262,064
Large Investor Avg
Focus on Midwest & South
Why BatchData
Investor Pulse is built on BatchData—property, owner, and transaction intelligence in one platform. It’s the modern alternative to legacy providers: faster updates, cleaner entity resolution, and an API your team actually wants to use.
Key Takeaways
Critical insights that define the future of investor participation in residential real estate
$366,424
26.8% reflects buyer retreat, not investor expansion – Traditional homebuyer withdrawal creates vacuum filled by cash-equipped investors
Small Investor Control
90% market control despite institutional headlines – Policy focus on large investors misses entrepreneurial reality
Geographic Strategy
Institutional Retreat
Pricing Discipline
Structural Change
Get the Complete Analysis
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- Quarterly trend analysis and forecasting
- Market-specific investment strategies
- Detailed demographic and pricing data
- Executive summary and policy implications