WHAT THE DATA SAY: 37% of Gen Z can't buy a home because they don’t have a down payment

By: Ray Day

CONTACT:

Ray Day
ray.day@stagwellglobal.com 

We wanted to share our latest consumer and business insights, based on research from Stagwell and Allison Worldwide. Among the highlights of our weekly consumer sentiment tracking:

3% INTEREST RATES NEEDED TO RESPARK HOME SALES

Most Americans say mortgage interest rates need to return the 3% range before they are willing to buy a new home, according to Harris Poll’s State of Real Estate 2026 report.

• 20% say 3% to 3.99% is the range needed before buying a new home, followed by 4% to 4.99% (17%), 5% to 5.99% (18%) – versus only 6% willing to buy at today’s average rates.
• 70% of Americans say the housing market feels stalled.
• 77% would rather stay put than face today’s mortgage rates.
• For young people, home ownership barriers include more than interest rates: 37% of Gen Z can’t buy because of mortgage rates, 37% don’t have money for a down payment, 28% have poor credit, and 25% say they don’t have enough knowledge about buying a home to pursue doing so.
• 68% of all Americans believe someone needs a six-figure salary before they can afford to buy a home.

RETAIL RESHAPED BY AI

Americans are already leaning on AI shopping agents to navigate today’s retail landscape, according to our Harris Poll research with Quad.

• Americans say pricing (74%) and being an informed shopper (73%) play a bigger role in shopping decisions now than 12 months ago – higher for Millennials at 79% and Gen Z at 81%.
• 69% say social media is becoming a less attractive place to shop.
• 73% say algorithm-driven pricing makes it hard to know whether they’re getting the best deal.
• Top benefits of AI tools include spotting pricing inconsistencies (66%), helping stay on budget (60%) and narrowing choices faster (60%).
• 51% would rather use AI shopping tools to reduce the risk of making a bad purchase.
• Younger Americans are more likely to trust AI shopping recommendations than older generations: 54% of Gen Z and 60% of Millennials compared to 42% of Gen X and 25% of Boomers.
• 70% say shopping in store, even alone, feels more like a social activity.
• See also: Millennials, Gen Zers warm up to AI shopping tools

WOMEN LEAD STRATEGIC AI ADOPTION

Our Harris Poll research with Chief examines how women leaders are defining AI adoption in the work place.

• 80% of women leaders are playing active strategic roles in their organization’s AI efforts.
• 31% are focused on AI governance, ethics and responsible implementation.
• 78% already use a personal criteria for deciding what stays human or transitions AI in their workflows.
• 87% have witnessed negative consequences when AI is prioritized without human development.
• Their top concerns are over-reliance reducing human judgement (43%), over-reliance reducing human capability (38%) and risks to data privacy and security (36%).
• See also: Women executives warn AI adoption is outpacing workforce development

ICYMI: In case you missed it, check out the thought-leadership and happenings around Stagwell making news:

• Another very positive step as we turbocharge growth at Allison Worldwide for our clients and our business (Ray Day)
• A Generation Homesick for a World They Never Knew (Harris Poll)
• Curling’s Next Wave: What the Data Says About Gen Z, Millennials, and Growth (The Harris Poll)
• Advocating for Black Maternal Health (The Harris Poll)
• Will AI redefine the future of qualitative research? (NRG)