Before the pandemic, all-cash home buyers generally made up about 29 percent of home sales. Then, during the pandemic, that share began to climb. These days, despite a more muted market, cash buyers remain a significant share of overall home buyers. In fact, according to a recent analysis from the National Association of Realtors’ consumer website, they made up 32.8 percent of home buyers during the first half of 2025. Danielle Hale, the website’s chief economist, says cash buyers can be tough competition for traditional buyers. “High-wealth buyers, investors, and those with significant equity can move quickly and often win out in competitive situations,” Hale said. “For traditional, mortgage-reliant buyers, this can add another hurdle in an already challenging environment.” But while cash buyers can be challenging competition, they aren’t evenly spread across the market. According to the numbers, they’re mostly found at the highest and lowest ends, with two-thirds of homes under $100,000 and 50 percent of homes over $2 million selling to all-cash buyers. (source)
