Business
Meet the dual shopper: Nearly 1 in 13 for-sale shoppers also engage with rentals
About 8% of shoppers on Zillow® looking to buy a home also shop for rentals, according to a new Zillow analysis. These "dual shoppers" explore both options before making a decision, underscoring how affordability pressures are blurring the line between renting and buying.
About this update from Zillow Group, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Dual shoppers — those engaging with for-sale and rental listings — are weighing both options as affordability reshapes housing decisions","length":136,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"list","items":[{"val":[{"type":"text","content":"Dual shoppers are most common in Los Angeles (12%), San Diego (10.8%) and San Francisco (10.1%).","length":96,"tagName":"p"}]},{"val":[{"type":"text","content":"Dual shoppers gravitate toward homes with the same number of bedrooms across both for-sale and rental listings, reflecting consistent preferences.","length":146,"tagName":"p"}]},{"val":[{"type":"text","content":"Across the U.S., homes that dual-intent shoppers engage with have monthly mortgage payments about $415 higher than rent on the rental properties they consider.","length":159,"tagName":"p"}]}],"tagName":"ul","bulletedList":true,"length":401,"olType":false},{"type":"text","content":"SEATTLE, April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- About 8% of shoppers on Zillow® looking to buy a home also shop for rentals, according to a new Zillow analysis. These "dual shoppers" explore both options before making a decision, underscoring how affordability pressures are blurring the line between renting and buying.","length":322,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"image","alt":"Dual shoppers","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"Dual shoppers","className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":400,"height":213,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/9803ed1e0372ce362d0b82a4907e7a0e"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/9cnkP430k55wLrbFQv0Axw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTM3NQ--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/9803ed1e0372ce362d0b82a4907e7a0e","width":400,"height":213}},"href":"https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2955395/Zillow_Dual_Shoppers_Graphic.html","hrefExternal":true,"rel":"nofollow"},{"type":"text","content":"Because Zillow hosts both for-sale and rental listings, it offers a unique window into how shoppers navigate between the two markets. Dual shoppers tend to focus on similar types of homes — most often three-bedroom properties — suggesting their lifestyle needs remain consistent even as they consider different paths. Rather than changing what they want in a home, many are straddling the fence between renting and buying, deciding which option best fits their budget and long-term goals.","length":48...