A third of homebuyers said they cried through the process, with first-time buyers hit hardest

Buying a house is often portrayed as a major life milestone, but for many Americans, the path to ownership is emotionally exhausting.

According to Zillow’s Consumer Housing Trends Report, 34% of recent homebuyers said they cried during the process.

First-time buyers were especially likely to struggle emotionally.

Among people purchasing their first home, 44% said they cried at some point, versus 25% of repeat buyers. That means newcomers were almost twice as likely to shed tears.

The strain went well beyond tears.

Overall, 64% of buyers described the experience as stressful, and 24% called it very or extremely stressful.

Stress levels were also higher among younger buyers. Twenty-nine percent of those ages 18 to 29 reported high stress, compared with 20% of buyers in their 40s.

Location also appeared to shape the experience.

In the West, 50% of recent homebuyers said they cried during their purchase, the highest share of any region.

In the Northeast, 35% reported tears, while 27% of buyers in the South said they had a homebuying breakdown.

Those emotions reflect the financial reality many aspiring owners face when trying to get into the market.

Nearly one in four first-time buyers, or 23%, said they originally overestimated how much they could afford, compared with 14% of repeat buyers.

Saving for a down payment can also take years. A separate study found that New Yorkers need about three years and eight months to save for a typical 15% down payment, nearly a year longer than the national average.

The search itself can drag on as well.

About 17% of buyers spent at least six months looking for a home, turning what may have started as an exciting search into a long test of patience.

First-time buyers also had to do more legwork.

More than half, or 54%, contacted multiple real estate agents during the process, compared with 40% of repeat buyers.

Even with all that effort, the process did not always involve fierce competition.

In fact, 46% of buyers submitted only one offer, showing that the emotional strain can begin long before a buyer enters a bidding war.

The report found that first-time buyers made up 42% of recent purchasers, down from 50% in 2023, underscoring the hurdles facing would-be homeowners.

Some younger Americans are also rethinking what success looks like. A separate survey found that Gen Z renters increasingly see investing as a bigger marker of achievement than owning a home, as higher housing costs reshape priorities.

For those who did make it to the closing table, buying a home was often a shared effort, with 63% purchasing alongside someone else.

The findings challenge the polished version of homeownership often seen on social media, where smiling buyers pose with oversized keys outside their new homes.