Cryptocurrency is gradually making inroads into residential real estate transactions, but few Americans realize that virtual money can be used to buy or sell a home—and even fewer trust it.
New research conducted by the Research and Insights team at Realtor.com® reveals that digital currency in real estate continues to be met with limited awareness and considerable skepticism driven by perceived risk, distrust, and confusion.
As part of the study, 209 consumers participated in a qualitative research activity from Aug. 15 to Aug. 20 to gauge their familiarity and use of cryptocurrency in general and in real estate deals in particular. Participants included a mix of first-time homebuyers, repeat buyers, sellers, and renters.
Nearly half of the participants were millennials, just under a third were Gen X, roughly 20% were baby boomers, and just 3% were Gen Z.
According to the results of the research, most participants were at least somewhat familiar with crypto, and some of them had owned or invested in blockchain-based assets.
However, most were unaware of digital currencies’ use in homebuying or selling.
Asked about the pros and cons of using digital money over traditional methods of payment, participants named more drawbacks than benefits.
Among the perceived negatives associated with crypto, participants brought up volatility, risk and distrust, and a lack of clarity.
“Cryptocurrency is speculative and unreliable in my opinion. I would not personally trust it,” a Gen X participant named Robert said.
Meanwhile, Nick, a first-time homebuyer, cited crypto’s “variable value and less than solid backing” as some of the reasons why he would not rely on it “for a big purchase.”
Other participants argued that blockchain-based currency had a potential for user error, with one fretting about having a typo in the digital wallet address, and another worrying about losing access to the assets by misplacing the account information.
“These concerns often led consumers to believe potential assets loss would outweigh benefits,” according to the research summary.
Perceived benefits of cryptocurrency uses included greater transaction security, increased speed, and a potential to maximize earnings.
“It doesn’t leave a paper trail because crypto is all digital,” a Realtor.com participant named Christopher said. “It’s a safe and secure form of digital payment that keeps both parties safe and keeps the transaction private.”
A participant named Sabrina touted crypto’s ability to save time and ensure a quick real estate transaction, especially for international buyers.
Future of crypto in real estate is uncertain
Only a few participants had used crypto for real estate deals, citing limited investments and distrust.
“I honestly didn’t think about it, and I wasn’t aware that it was even a thing you could do,” a millennial first-time buyer named Brandi opined.
Perhaps more alarmingly for the future of this industry, the majority of participants said they did not expect to harness crypto in the future to buy or sell homes because of lingering reliability concerns.
“I don’t want to invest my hard-earned money into uncertain places,” concluded a millennial repeat buyer named Madan, while a Gen Xer named Robert dismissed crypto as an “unreliable fad that should fail in the future.”
Those still on the fence about virtual currency said they needed more information or time to see where it goes from here before they decide to get involved.
“I would need to learn a lot more about how that process works before I’d be willing to make that kind of decision,” a participant named Sunnie said.
These comments come as no surprise to housing market experts.
“In the short term, consumer distrust will keep crypto a novelty or marketing tool in real estate rather than a mainstream payment option,” says Realtor.com senior economic research analyst Hannah Jones. “Uncertain regulations, unclear tax treatment, and limited institutional adoption make buyers wary, while the currency’s volatility reinforces its reputation as speculative and risky.”
In some good news for real estate professionals specializing in crypto transactions, a few of the participants praised the use of virtual money to buy or sell properties as forward-thinking and a smart investment.
“I think crypto is here to stay and I can see myself using some or a lot of it to buy a home in the future,” a participant named Phil, who is a repeat homebuyer, said. “I am for sure open to it if I have enough and the system is easy to use and [safe] to use.”
Historic move by a luxury brokerage
The mixed research findings come just as cryptocurrency has begun gaining traction on the housing market, with the West Coast branch of Christie’s International Real Estate becoming the first major U.S. brokerage to debut a division dedicated exclusively to cryptocurrency transitions in July.
Aaron Kirman, CEO of Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California, who heads the new crypto-only unit, told Realtor.com that there is “a real market” for tokenized property deals.
“Crypto is here to stay—its influence in real estate is only going to grow in the coming years,” Kirman said in July.
The real estate bigwig predicted that in the next five years, more than a third of all residential real estate deals in the U.S. could involve crypto.
Tokenized payments are growing increasingly popular especially among high-net-worth individuals and celebrities looking to protect their privacy and keep their property acquisitions under wraps.
Christie’s Real Estate SoCal has already closed multiple deals totalling over $200 million paid entirely in cryptocurrency—and Kirman said his portfolio of for-sale homes whose sellers are seeking crypto offers boasts a combined worth of more than $1 billion.
Crypto and mortgages
President Donald Trump has signaled his administration’s embrace of cryptocurrency, proclaiming himself a “crypto president.”
The convergence of virtual currency and housing has not gone unnoticed by policymakers in Washington, DC.
In June, President Donald Trump‘s administration ordered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to prepare proposals for considering crypto holdings as assets when weighing the creditworthiness of a homebuyer applying for a mortgage.
The rule change would make it easier for homebuyers who own cryptocurrency to qualify for a mortgage, and potentially up their loan amount limits, without requiring them to convert their tokens into cash.
However, homebuyers would still need to make their monthly mortgage payments in dollars and not in crypto.
The move highlighted Washington’s embrace of cryptocurrency, with Trump proclaiming himself a “crypto president” and vowing to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the world.”
Since taking office eight months ago, Trump has appointed David Sacks as “crypto czar” and hosted the first White House Crypto Summit in March.
In July, Trump signed into law the landmark GENIUS Act, introducing federal rules for a type of cryptocurrency known as stablecoin.
Around the same time, the House passed the CLARITY Act designed to create a regulatory framework for digital assets and defining which agency has jurisdiction over different kinds of “digital commodities.”
And yet, the use of blockchain-based assets in real estate so far has largely been limited to the ultra-luxury segment.
Jones says that could change going forward, but only if certain conditions are met.
“Long-term adoption will hinge on currency stability, regulatory clarity, ease of use, and greater normalization through precedent,” says the analyst. “For crypto to become commonplace in real estate, it must first earn broader credibility and trust among buyers.”
