iFinder Offers data shows average investor bids for residential properties have risen three straight years
Even as investor home purchases fall to multi-year lows, competition within the off-market residential channel has climbed steadily over three consecutive years, according to transaction data released by iFinder Offers, a real estate platform.
The company’s internal marketplace data shows the average number of investor bids per submitted property rose 35.2% between 2024 and the current year.
Average bids per property stood at 3.64 in 2024, climbed to 4.46 in 2025, and have reached 4.92 through 2026 year to date. That's a 10.3% increase over the full-year 2025 average.
Three years of rising competition
The iFinder figures arrive against a backdrop of broad investor contraction across public channels. Investor home purchases sank to their lowest level since the pandemic freeze in Q1 2026, falling 6% year over year per Redfin data.
By August, housing investor confidence had fallen to an all-time low in survey history, driven by elevated financing costs and rising renovation expenses.
Rick Sharga, chief executive officer of the CJ Patrick Company, a California-based real estate analytics firm, described the depth of that retreat.
“Real estate investors purchased 23% fewer homes in the first quarter of 2026 than they did in the previous quarter and in the first quarter of 2025. The survey also shows that 32% of the respondents don’t plan to buy any properties at all this year, and only 9% plan to buy more than they did a year ago,” he previously said.
Meanwhile, a landmark rental home ban set off a broader investor exodus from single-family acquisitions, particularly at institutional scale.
What off-market bid trends mean for homeowners
Those investors still active have sharpened their approach considerably.
Tamara Mattox-Kabat, a Redfin Premier agent in Denver, described the behavioral shift: “Flippers and investors are scaling back, and being much more strategic when they do buy homes. They’re buying less expensive materials, and being more careful about timing their projects to list during the stronger spring and summer seasons.”
For homeowners evaluating alternatives to a traditional listing, iFinder’s data suggests a more competitive bid environment than a typical single-investor approach.
"When a homeowner responds to a ‘We Buy Houses for Cash’ sign or visits a website advertising cash offers for homes, they’re typically dealing with a single buyer who presents one offer," said Anne Lakusta, co-founder of iFinder Offers.
"With iFinder, it’s a completely different approach. Instead of relying on one company’s offer, homeowners have the opportunity to receive competing bids from multiple vetted investors. That competition gives sellers more options, more information, and greater confidence when deciding how to move forward."
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