Do Hedge Funds Really Own All the Homes? The Data Says No.
Fri Feb 06 2026
Welcome back to Raising the Flipping Bar.
In this episode, I wanted to slow things down and talk about something dominating headlines — institutional buyers, hedge funds, and Wall Street “owning all the homes.”
There’s a lot of noise, fear, and political rhetoric around this topic. So instead of reacting emotionally, I wanted to look at the actual data and break down what’s really happening — nationally and here in Metro Denver.
I’m not here to get political. I am here to be factual.
Drawing from our direct experience working with institutional buyers on both the buy side and sell side — and backed by data from the GAO, CoreLogic, Urban Land Institute, and more — this episode separates myth from reality and explains what this really means for affordability, investors, agents, and buyers heading into 2026.
If you’re worried about housing affordability, trying to buy your first home, or investing in real estate, this is an episode you’ll want to hear.
In this episode, I cover:
🏘️ How many homes institutions actually own nationwide
📊 The real breakdown of Wall Street vs. Main Street investors
🧱 Why the 2008 crash created a new rental asset class
📉 What happened when institutions stopped buying in 2022
📍 Why Metro Denver isn’t impacted the way headlines suggest
🌎 The top U.S. markets where institutional ownership is concentrated
⚖️ Who wins and loses if institutional buyers are restricted
🏗️ The real drivers of affordability (hint: it’s not hedge funds)
🔍 Potential unintended consequences no one is talking about
📈 How investors should think strategically about 2026
If you’re a real estate investor, agent, homeowner, or someone trying to understand where the housing market is actually headed — this episode will help you replace emotion with data and build a smarter strategy.
🔗 Connect with me and ELEVATION
LinkedIn (Derek): /derekmarlin
ELEVATION Website: https://elevationinvest.com
LinkedIn (ELEVATION): /elevationinvestmentproperties
Instagram (ELEVATION): /elevationinvest
Facebook (ELEVATION): /elevationinvestmentproperties
🎧 Subscribe to Raising the Flipping Bar
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Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3WbUCeQ
YouTube: /@elevationrealestateinvesting
📌 Hashtags
#RaisingTheFlippingBar #RealEstateInvesting #HousingMarket
#InstitutionalBuyers #WallStreetRealEstate
#HousingAffordability #DenverRealEstate
#RealEstateData #ElevationInvesting #2026Investing
#RentalHousing #PrivateCapital #MainStreetVsWallStreet
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Welcome back to Raising the Flipping Bar. In this episode, I wanted to slow things down and talk about something dominating headlines — institutional buyers, hedge funds, and Wall Street “owning all the homes.” There’s a lot of noise, fear, and political rhetoric around this topic. So instead of reacting emotionally, I wanted to look at the actual data and break down what’s really happening — nationally and here in Metro Denver. I’m not here to get political. I am here to be factual. Drawing from our direct experience working with institutional buyers on both the buy side and sell side — and backed by data from the GAO, CoreLogic, Urban Land Institute, and more — this episode separates myth from reality and explains what this really means for affordability, investors, agents, and buyers heading into 2026. If you’re worried about housing affordability, trying to buy your first home, or investing in real estate, this is an episode you’ll want to hear. In this episode, I cover: 🏘️ How many homes institutions actually own nationwide 📊 The real breakdown of Wall Street vs. Main Street investors 🧱 Why the 2008 crash created a new rental asset class 📉 What happened when institutions stopped buying in 2022 📍 Why Metro Denver isn’t impacted the way headlines suggest 🌎 The top U.S. markets where institutional ownership is concentrated ⚖️ Who wins and loses if institutional buyers are restricted 🏗️ The real drivers of affordability (hint: it’s not hedge funds) 🔍 Potential unintended consequences no one is talking about 📈 How investors should think strategically about 2026 If you’re a real estate investor, agent, homeowner, or someone trying to understand where the housing market is actually headed — this episode will help you replace emotion with data and build a smarter strategy. 🔗 Connect with me and ELEVATION LinkedIn (Derek): /derekmarlin ELEVATION Website: https://elevationinvest.com LinkedIn (ELEVATION): /elevationinvestmentproperties Instagram (ELEVATION): /elevationinvest Facebook (ELEVATION): /elevationinvestmentproperties 🎧 Subscribe to Raising the Flipping Bar Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3ByYmxv Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3WbUCeQ YouTube: /@elevationrealestateinvesting 📌 Hashtags #RaisingTheFlippingBar #RealEstateInvesting #HousingMarket #InstitutionalBuyers #WallStreetRealEstate #HousingAffordability #DenverRealEstate #RealEstateData #ElevationInvesting #2026Investing #RentalHousing #PrivateCapital #MainStreetVsWallStreet