25% of Canadian millennials say they will probably buy a home in 2026: survey

Despite affordability challenges and lingering economic uncertainty, Canada’s largest generation of potential buyers isn’t backing down from the housing market.

Canadian millennials are maintaining strong intentions to purchase a home in the coming year, even as broader economic concerns persist, according to a recent survey by Wahi, a digital real estate platform and brokerage.

Wahi’s third-annual Homebuyer Intentions Survey of Angus Reid Forum members indicates that overall home-buying interest remains steady year-over-year, with millennials leading all age groups.

“When you consider how concerns over tariffs, job security, and affordability have kept some homebuyers on the sidelines over the past year, it’s somewhat surprising to see unwavering home buying interest from millennials,” said Wahi economist Ryan McLaughlin. “It’s also encouraging to see that even against a more challenging economic backdrop, overall home-buying intentions don’t seem to have eroded.”

The survey found 25 per cent of millennials say they will probably purchase a home in 2026 (compared to 23 per cent last year).

It also found 17 per cent of Canadians aged 18 and up say they are likely to buy a home this year, unchanged from 2025.

Gen Zs (typically defined as born between the mid-to-late 1990s and the early 2010s) were less enthusiastic about buying a home. Only 15 per cent expressed interest compared to 20 per cent in 2025.

Gen X intentions were unchanged at 18 per cent, while baby boomer intentions rose to 10 per cent, compared to eight per cent in 2025.

Compared to younger cohorts, millennials appear better positioned to weather economic uncertainty.

“Millennials are further along in their careers and typically have more financial stability than Gen Z buyers, which likely explains their continued confidence,” McLaughlin noted.

The survey also found that home-buying intentions remained relatively strong in provinces with the highest cost of living. British Columbia recorded the highest share of prospective buyers, with 20 per cent saying they are planning a purchase this year, followed by Alberta (17 per cent), Manitoba (19 per cent) and Ontario (16 per cent).

While interest remains resilient, affordability continues to pose challenges. Among Canadians planning to purchase a home this year, 52 per cent say uncertainty around home prices could delay their plans, consistent with last year’s findings. Financial uncertainty was also cited as a potential barrier by 29 per cent of would-be buyers.

At the same time, improved borrowing conditions appear to be easing some concerns. Only 12 per cent of respondents say they are unsure whether they can secure a workable mortgage this year, compared to 19 per cent in 2025. Additionally, 30 per cent of prospective buyers say they may wait to see how interest rates evolve, compared to 38 per cent last year.

The survey was conducted from Nov. 21 to 25, 2025, among a representative sample of 1,501 Canadians via the Angus Reid Forum. The findings carry a margin of error of +/-2.53 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

See the full survey report here.