Homebuyers in their 30s are establishing a stronger presence in Korea's housing market. After surpassing those in their 40s for the first time in 11 years in 2024, the gap has widened further this year, continuing a trend of declining homebuyer age.
According to data released by the Supreme Court Registry Information Service on Thursday, 265,352 people in their 30s purchased collective buildings—including apartments, villas, and officetels—from January to November this year. During the same period, 257,581 buyers were in their 40s, putting those in their 30s ahead by 7,771 people, or 3.01 percent.
The trend continued into December. From December 1 to 15, 10,064 people in their 30s applied for ownership transfer registration, compared to 9,080 in their 40s—a lead of 984 people, or 10.83 percent.
This reversal first appeared last year. For full-year 2024, buyers in their 30s totaled 289,697, while those in their 40s numbered 287,732—a margin of 1,965 people, or 0.68 percent.
Historically, buyers in their 40s dominated from 2014 to 2023, except for some years between 2010 and 2013. Analysts attribute the shift to rapidly rising home prices pushing purchase timing earlier. According to KB Real Estate, the average price of mid-sized apartments in Seoul surged 28.3 percent in three years, from 1.72 billion won in November 2022 to 2.2 billion won ($1.6 million) in November 2025.
In November 2025 alone, ownership transfers through sales totaled 94,278 cases. Individual buyers accounted for 79,765 cases, or 94.8 percent, while corporations made up 3,847 cases, or 4.6 percent. By property type, collective buildings led with 75,240 cases, followed by land at 34,971 cases and general buildings at 6,605 cases.
The top areas for collective building ownership transfer registrations were Sindong in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province (1,350 cases); Hyoseong-dong in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon (1,343 cases); Jincheon-eup in Jincheon County, North Chungcheong Province (1,261 cases); Hyeondeok-myeon in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province (1,198 cases); and Bullo-dong in Seo-gu, Incheon (763 cases). These top-ranking areas were concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area and regional new towns or industrial complex-adjacent locations.
By individual buyer address, Gyeonggi Province recorded the most transactions at 22,221 cases, followed by Seoul (15,367 cases), Incheon (6,648 cases), Busan (4,778 cases), and South Gyeongsang Province (4,359 cases).
Among foreign buyers by nationality, Chinese nationals ranked first with 651 purchases, far ahead of Americans at 108. Canadians followed with 42, then Vietnamese and Russians at 26 each, and Uzbeks at 25.
