Big Institutional Buyers Pivot from Buying to Building in U.S. Single-Family Rentals

New data show large investors are net sellers of for-sale homes across major markets as they pivot from buying to renting via build-for-rent. FirstKey Homes is discounting heavily and selling more listings, Invitation Homes has shifted toward newly built stock, and investor activity has cooled since 2022, even as Congress weighs restrictions on large buyers of single-family rentals. The shift underscores a broader move away from resale into long-term rental strategies in a volatile market.