President Trump Proposes Ban on Institutional Investors Purchasing Single-Family Homes

President Donald Trump announced plans to prohibit large institutional investors from acquiring additional single-family homes, aiming to improve housing affordability for individual buyers. In a social media post, Trump stated, "I am immediately taking steps to ban large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes, and I will be calling on Congress to codify it. People live in homes, not corporations."

The move targets major investment firms like Blackstone and JPMorgan Chase, which have significantly increased their holdings in single-family homes over recent years. These investors often purchase properties to rent out, a trend that accelerated following the 2008 financial crisis, particularly in Sun Belt states.

Following the announcement, shares of Blackstone fell by as much as 9% on Wednesday.

Trump plans to outline additional housing and affordability proposals in the coming weeks, including a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, later this month.

The U.S. housing market has experienced significant price increases in recent years, driven by low inventory and mortgage rates exceeding 6%. Between early 2020 and the third quarter of 2025, home prices climbed nearly 55% nationwide.

While institutional investors own a relatively small percentage of single-family homes nationwide—approximately 3% as of June 2022—their presence is more pronounced in certain metropolitan areas. For instance, in Atlanta, Jacksonville, and Charlotte, large investors controlled more than 15% of the market for single-family homes as of 2022.

Lawmakers from both parties have proposed restricting corporate investors from the home-buying market, arguing that bulk purchases by these entities have driven up prices and made it harder for individual Americans to find homes. However, some housing experts contend that banning large investors would have minimal impact on overall housing stock and could deter investment in the market. Jaret Seiberg, an analyst at TD Cowen, noted, "This will not fix housing affordability. It may boost single-family purchases, but it will come at the cost of reducing single-family rentals."