JUWAI IQI – MORE THAN 80% OF GEN Z BUY CONDOS, WHILE OLDER  MALAYSIANS STILL FAVOUR LANDED HOMES

JUWAI IQI  – MORE THAN 80% OF GEN Z BUY CONDOS, WHILE OLDER  MALAYSIANS STILL FAVOUR LANDED HOMES

Kuala Lumpur (1st September 2025) — Where you live says a lot about you, according to a new  analysis of more than 127,000, which reveals that more than four out of five Gen Z buyers are  choosing condos, while Gen X still leans toward landed homes. This generational divide will  reshape Malaysia’s housing market, according to Juwai IQI. 

“Gen Z are buying into the skyline, while Millennials and Gen X keep their feet on the ground,” said  Juwai IQI Co-Founder and Group CEO Kashif Ansari in new comments released today. 

Generations by Size 

	Age	Population Size
Generation Z (1997–2012)	15-29	8.95 million
Millennials (1981–1996)	30-44	8.4 million
Generation X (1965-1980)	45-59	5.4 million
Boomers (1946-1964)	60-80	3.7 million
Builders (Before 1946)	80 +	0.4 million

Source: IQI, data.gov.my. Some generations were adjusted by one year to correspond to the 5-yearly cohorts in the data

“The data shows a remarkable difference between generations. For Gen Z, more than 80 percent of  purchases are for condos or apartments. That is far higher than the share among Generation X and  Boomers, who are still much more likely to buy landed homes,” Mr. Ansari said. 

“We can break it down by age range to make it easier. If you’re in your 20s, you’re most likely to buy  a unit. If you’re in your 30s, 40s, or 50s, you’re in one of the generations most likely to buy landed  property. When you hit your 60s and 70s, you again start trending towards units. And, if you’re over  80, you’re almost definitely going to buy a unit.  

Mr. Ansari continued: “It shows us that the youngest Malaysian homebuyers are choosing a different  path from their parents and grandparents. They are embracing vertical living, while older Malaysians  are more likely to prefer the space and land that come with a terrace or detached house. 

“The generations most likely to buy a landed home are those who want space for young or growing  families: Millennials, who are in their 30s and early 40s, and Generation X, in their late 40s and 50s. 

Gen Z Are Condo Buyers: Share of Transactions by Generation 

	Units	Landed
Generation Z (1997–2012)	84%	16%
Millennials (1981–1996)	75%	25%
Generation X (1965-1980)	75%	25%
Boomers (1946-1964)	77%	23%
Builders (Before 1946)	93%	7%

Source: IQI 

The data highlights that younger Malaysians are at a different life stage, so they have more urban  lifestyles, budgets, and priorities. Many want to live close to work, transport, and amenities. Units  often make that possible. 

“Gen Z, who are the youngest home buyers today, are the largest generation and account for nearly  9 million Malaysians. They are the ones who will drive demand in the housing market for the next  twenty years as they upgrade to larger units or landed homes. Their choices will have a big impact  on the way our cities and suburbs grow. 

“The data also shows that as you pass middle age and get older, you are more likely to purchase a  unit. In fact, the Malaysians who are most likely to purchase a unit are the oldest generation, the  Builders, who were born before 1946 and are more than 80 years old. Only 7% of Builders purchase  a landed home, while 93% purchase a unit.  

“In the Boomer generation, you also see the tendency to purchase a unit increasing as they age.  Boomers are in the sixth and seventh decades of their lives. If they buy a home, it is likely to  downsize into a property that is more convenient and easier to manage, which means a unit in most  cases. That’s why Boomers are less likely than Generation X or Millennials to purchase a landed  home. 

Landed Homes Are Many Families’ Second or Third Purchase 

“This does not mean that one type of home is better than another. Both landed homes and units are  important. In fact, landed homes outnumber units over all. In 2024, there were 64.7 million unit  homes in the country. About 31% of these were units, compared to 69% that were landed.  

“Landed property also accounts for a greater share of transactions overall, with the purchase of  terraces, duplexes, and other landed homes making up 79% of last year’s transactions. But younger  buyers are showing much stronger interest in units. Even if this data set somewhat overstates that  difference, the contrast is too great to ignore. 

Landed Homes Outnumber Units Overall 

	Stock	Transactions
Landed	69%	79%
Units	31%	21%

Source: IQI, NAPIC (2024) 

“Landed homes are often the second or third purchase for many families, and fewer than a quarter  of young first-time buyers make a landed home their first purchase.  

“Landed homes provide more privacy and space and are highly valued by growing families. 

“The mismatch between high demand for units and relatively low supply is an opportunity. We are  working with developers to provide more high-rise projects that cater to singles, couples, and young  families, while still offering landed homes that suit larger families and wealthier buyers.  Policymakers are supporting both markets, which is exactly what is needed. 

“Every generation has its preferences, and by recognising and responding to them, Malaysia will  continue to provide homes that meet the needs of all its people. 

Vertical Is Affordable 

“Affordability is, of course, a big factor. Units are often more affordable for first-time buyers. They  are easier to maintain, and they often come with facilities like gyms, pools, and security that young  families value and would otherwise have to pay for. These are advantages that appeal strongly to  the younger generations. 

“If you buy a high-rise home, your monthly expenses will be more than RM200 lower than on a  terraced home and more than RM1,200 lower than for a detached house, on average. 

“Our homes respond to our lifestyles. Our desire for space grows as we transition from being single  to being in a couple, then having a family, and then a family with teenagers. At some point, the  children move out, and we go back to being a couple. Perhaps, we eventually become single again  in our older years. Each stage of life requires different things from its dwelling.” 

About the Data 

The data is drawn from our records of more than 127,000 transactions of all types in Malaysia since  2018. The data may exaggerate unit buying, given that the share of unit transactions in our dataset  is higher than in the market as a whole. Even so, the relative preferences between generations are  unaffected by this and remain striking. 

We have mapped the transaction data to generations using demographic data from data.gov.my.  Some generations were adjusted by one year to correspond to the 5-yearly cohorts in the official  data. The housing stock and total transaction data is for 2024 and comes from NAPIC. 

-END-

Please feel free to share this article too. (links are all below) Thank you!

Sign up for daily investment news updates (FREE since Nov 2013 and FOREVER). 

Please LIKE kopiandproperty.com FB page to get daily updates about the property market beyond kopiandproperty.com articles.

Else, follow me on Twitter here.