Home Factors 
This article is adapted from a recent webinar conversation with Michelle Taves, VP and Group GM, and Larisa Bedgood, Head of Marketing, on the five high-intent audiences brands should prioritize in 2026. You can watch the full webinar here: [Watch the full webinar]
Where someone lives, and how they choose to live there, says a lot.
Today, the line between homeowners and renters isn’t as fixed as it used to be. Moves are more fluid. Decisions take longer. And people are far more intentional about the level of commitment they’re ready to make at any given moment.
That shift shows up clearly in the data. About 65 percent of U.S. households own their homes, while roughly 35 percent rent, meaning more than a third of consumers are actively navigating housing decisions without ownership attached.
That shift creates opportunity, but only if brands understand what’s really happening inside the move and housing journey.
Renting is no longer just a stopgap
We’re seeing more people relocate across states, often for work, lifestyle, or cost-of-living reasons. But many of them aren’t rushing to buy a home the moment they arrive.
Instead, they rent.
Not because they’ve given up on homeownership, but because they want time. Time to understand the neighborhood. Time to assess the market. Time to decide whether they want an older home with character or new construction with fewer surprises.
There’s scale behind this behavior. Roughly 44 million U.S. households are renters, making rental decisions one of the most common and meaningful stages in the housing journey.
That rental phase is full of signal.
It reflects how cautious or confident someone feels. It shows how much commitment they’re ready to make. And it creates a very different set of needs than someone who just closed on a house.
Homeowners and renters are not interchangeable
This is where many brands still miss the mark.
You don’t market to a renter the same way you market to a homeowner. The products are different. The messaging is different. The urgency is different.
A renter may be focused on flexibility, convenience, and protection of personal belongings. A homeowner is thinking about long-term value, maintenance, insurance coverage, and how to protect the investment they just made.
Treating those two audiences the same flattens the opportunity.
The home itself tells a story
For homeowners, the property adds another layer of insight.
The condition of the home, how it’s built, and what systems it relies on all signal risk, responsibility, and readiness. That information helps insurance companies offer more appropriate coverage. It also creates opportunities to reward homeowners who actively maintain and care for their property.
And those same property signals extend beyond insurance.
Home improvement brands, service providers, and marketers all benefit from understanding what a home needs and when it’s likely to need it.
Property data connects people and place
What makes this audience especially powerful is the connection between who someone is and where they live.
The move journey.
The decision to rent or buy.
The type of home they choose.
All of it creates insight into priorities, financial comfort, and future intent.
When you combine household-level data with property-level insight, you stop guessing. You start understanding.
Why this audience matters in 2026
As housing decisions become more deliberate and less linear, homeowners and renters represent one of the clearest windows into future behavior.
Their choices reflect commitment, caution, and confidence.
Their homes generate ongoing signals.
And their needs evolve quickly as their living situation changes.
Brands that pay attention to both sides of this equation will be far better positioned to engage at the right moment with the right message.
To see how homeowners and renters fit alongside other high-intent audiences shaping next year, download the full report on the five audiences brands should be targeting in 2026.
