Many people who are frustrated by high home prices have stopped trying to buy a house on their own.
Instead, more buyers are teaming up. Co-buying a home with a friend, sibling, or family member is now a real option, not just a backup plan.
If you’re interested, start by talking openly about money and goals with your potential co-buyers. It also helps to work with a real estate agent who knows about shared ownership and can guide you through the process.
“Co-owning solves the problem of affordability while also allowing the accumulation of long-term wealth through a fixed asset,” said .
“Many Gen Zs have removed the more emotional idea of home ownership in exchange for the pragmatic view that property is a collateralized asset that can have multiple owners all seeing shares benefit.”
Numbers back up the trend
, a third of Gen Z adults say they’d consider co-buying a home with friends, siblings, or family members.
That means Gen Z is almost 80% more likely than millennials to consider shared ownership. But both generations are willing to make sacrifices to buy homes.
Sibling co-buying jumped from just 4% of Gen Z homeowners in 2023 to 12% in 2024 and 22% in 2025, according to data from the Bank of America Institute.
now make up a record 17% of all sales.
Things add up differently when you have two incomes
Why should one person carry a mortgage, property taxes, maintenance, and insurance costs alone?
Stokes said co-buying lets two, three, or even four people share the costs and risks.
Still, there are challenges. People might disagree about managing the property, splitting expenses, or handling repairs.
Setting up clear agreements and exit plans from the beginning can help prevent problems later.
If one person loses their job or takes a pay cut, the home remains secure because the other owners can help cover costs.
Boomers join the trend too
Many Baby Boomers are actively looking to transfer generational wealth while they’re still alive, Herron said.
“One of the easiest options is to co-buy or gift a significant down payment to grandchildren or through purchasing properties where they live independently with their children,” he said.
Duplexes, ADUs, and shared ownership aren’t just ways to save money. They help families build something permanent for future generations.
Gen Z was built for this
Gen Z grew up learning, working, and connecting in groups—through group projects, co-working spaces, online games, and Discord servers.
Co-owning a home with trusted people is just applying the same teamwork to real estate.
Here’s what makes co-buying flexible: you don’t have to sell if your life changes. If you get a job in another city, you can rent out your share of the home and keep earning income.
These details are usually set up in that original agreement, so shared ownership can adapt as your life changes.
The news and editorial staffs of The Denver Post had no role in this postap preparation.
