73% of Americans Blame Real Estate Investors for High Home Prices as Trump Plans New Restrictions

Although more than half of Americans (54%) oppose the Trump administration's handling of the real estate market, 79% of Americans support regulating the housing market.

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 73% of Americans say real estate investors are responsible for the lack of affordable housing in the United States, according to a new report from Clever Offers, a platform owned by Clever Real Estate that allows home sellers on tight timelines to explore their selling options.

Amid reports that President Trump intends to ban institutional investments in single-family homes, nearly two-thirds (62%) of investors admit they've contributed to higher home prices.

When asked what they'd most like to change, 1 in 8 Americans (12%) would implement stricter regulations on investors and corporations — the third most common response, behind lowering home prices (35%) and lowering mortgage rates (25%).

With 62% of investors reporting that they primarily target starter homes, it's no surprise that more than 1 in 10 Gen Z buyers (11%) believe investors are most responsible for the affordable housing crisis.

Nearly half of home sellers (44%) would not knowingly sell to a real estate investor — up from 38% in 2024 — and roughly one-third (32%) consider investors untrustworthy.

Skepticism extends beyond traditional real estate investors, with the majority of Americans also viewing cash-buying companies (60%) and iBuyers (51%) as untrustworthy.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans (59%) go so far as to call cash-buying companies scams, while 38% say they are the worst way to sell a home.

Meanwhile, about a quarter of sellers who sold to a cash buyer (27%) or iBuyer (25%) say they regret their decision.

Read the full report at: https://cleveroffers.com/research/real-estate-investor-sentiment/

About Clever Offers
Clever Offers is a platform that empowers sellers who need to sell quickly or for cash to compare options and make informed decisions. Clever Offers' free service connects sellers with vetted cash buyers and top local realtors, allowing them to evaluate traditional cash offers alongside options such as cash offers with a second payment upon resale, listing on the MLS for as little as 7 days, and standard open-market listings.

About Clever
Clever Real Estate's content reaches over 10 million readers annually, and its nationwide agent matching service has a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 3,800+ customer reviews. Since launching in 2017, Clever has reached $15 billion in real estate sold, matched 194,000+ customers with realtors, and saved consumers over $220 million on commission fees. Clever's network spans 18,000 agents across all 50 states.

CONTACT: 
Alyssa Evans
Clever Real Estate
[email protected]
315-690-1518

SOURCE Clever Offers