Key Takeaways
| Trend | Insight |
|---|---|
| Gen Z prioritises stocks over property | 37% of young adults see stocks/ETFs* as better for wealth-building 29% favour property. |
| Revolut data shows a cultural shift | Younger Irish investors hold the largest share of ETFs compared to any other age group. |
| Housing ladder seen as out of reach | High costs and limited supply mean property is less accessible for under-30s. |
| Stocks are possible, property is ideal | Gen Z is forced to choose what’s attainable today, possibly at the cost of long-term stability. |
| Revolut benefits from narrative | Revolut survey reinforces interest in their trading platform, something readers should consider. |
*An ETF is a type of investment that holds a collection of assets, like stocks or bonds. It is also traded on a stock exchange similar to individual stocks, but it allows investors to easily diversify their investment portfolio.
Findings from The Revolut Survey.
A new Revolut survey reveals that more than 37% of 18- to 24-year-olds in Ireland now believe stocks and ETFs are a better way to build wealth than property.
By contrast, only 29% still consider the property ladder as the best way to gain financial security.
As you would expect, older generations remain firmly in the property camp. Among 45- to 54-year-olds, a third still see housing as their main wealth-building tool, while less than a quarter would prioritise the stock market.
Revolut’s data also shows that Gen Z holds the largest share of ETFs (16.5%) compared to any other age group. This shows how quickly young investors are adopting complex, market-tracking instruments which were once reserved only for high-level professionals.
Why are Stocks & ETFs Attractive to Gen Z?
- LOW BARRIER TO ENTRY.
Property in Ireland today requires deposits of tens of thousands of euros, fees, and fierce competition. By contrast, stocks and ETFs are available instantly on apps like Revolut with as little as €1.
So we can see that maybe it isn’t that Gen Z necessarily finds stocks attractive; they simply have no choice!
2. ADOPTION OF EARLY INVESTING HABITS (AS OPPOSED TO GAMBLING).
- Platforms like Revolut encourage micro-investing, making it easy for young adults to start earlier than their parents ever could.
- This builds financial awareness, and possibly long-term wealth, in a generation often excluded from traditional ownership routes.
3. PERCEIVED GROWTH POTENTIAL.
ETFs in particular have been marketed as relatively safe and diversified. They allow exposure to global markets by choosing multiple stocks, which reduces risks related to volatility. This is especially attractive to beginner investors.
A Brief Look at the Current Irish Housing Market.
Ireland’s housing crisis is the biggest factor in these findings. A continuous shortage of housing supply, ever-increasing prices, and rental instability have created an environment where homeownership feels like a fantasy for many under 30.
- The average price of a second-hand home in Dublin exceeded €600,000 in March 2025. Let that sink in.
- Rent inflation eats into savings, making deposits harder to build.
- Institutional investors bulk-buying properties further squeezes supply.
Gen Z isn’t rejecting the dream of homeownership because they don’t value it. They’re choosing the only realistic path available to them today. In other words: what’s possible over what’s ideal.
What are the Broader Implications of this Shift?
1. CULTURAL SHIFT IN WEALTH IDENTITY
- Ownership of property has long been a cornerstone of Irish adulthood. It is still the case around the world.
- If Gen Z defines success by digital investment portfolios instead of actual property, Ireland’s cultural relationship with homeownership could begin to soften.
2. CORPORATIONS & ELITES CONTINUE TO WIN !!!
- Institutional investors, private equity funds, and ultra-wealthy individuals continue to buy property in bulk across Ireland. This reduces supply for average buyers and pushes up prices, reinforcing the idea that property is scarcer than it is.
- Platforms like Revolut make it easy for younger generations to invest in stocks. I think this is a good thing in itself! However, I think this also presents a unique, more sinister opportunity for ‘elites’.
- Early adoption of small digital wealth creates the perception of ownership for current generation that is priced out of owning real, tangible, wealth/property.
- If Gen Z broadly begins to equate “wealth” with holding digital portfolios instead of land or property, I believe that the cultural pressure to redistribute housing will continue to weaken over generations. This allows elites to keep real property in their hands, while the masses focus on digital wealth that doesn’t threaten elite control of physical assets.
- Property provides shelter, security and confidence in a way that ETFs or stocks cannot. Stocks by their very nature are speculative, intangible, volatile, and ultimately controlled by global financial markets. A home or land, even in a downturn, is still a valuable asset.
2. SHORT TERM IMPACT ON HOUSING DEMAND.
If fewer young people pursue home ownership, demand could fall slightly – which should cause house prices to stabilise or fall.
In practice, however, this fall in demand would likely leave more room for institutional investors to pick up available homes quickly, further pushing prices up.
3. GROWTH IN FINANCIAL LITERACY ACROSS GEN Z.
It is not all bad.
I believe that greater participation in capital markets can help normalise financial literacy in Ireland. Financial knowledge is very important in a system that is designed to keep you in debt.
This could create opportunities for many people to learn to use the system to get out of it, provided they play the game smartly.
4. POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY TO PUT PRESSURE ON POLICY CHANGE?
Gen Z is young and has a lot of energy. When a young population is both educated and disillusioned, it can topple policies and force change when unified.
A generation that is locked out of property and feels forced to rely on volatile stock markets could demand stronger government action on housing supply and regulation.
A Note of Caution.
- Let us not forget that Revolut itself benefits from highlighting this generational shift. As a trading platform, pushing the narrative that stocks are the “new property ladder” indirectly markets their services. I see little wrong with this, but I thought it would be worth mentioning to the reader.
While ETFs are widely regarded as a safer, diversified investment compared to individual stocks, they are still tied to the market. A major recession could destroy digital wealth faster than property values.
And even though this shift in wealth building provides unique opportunities for Gen Z, I still believe the bad in the broader context far outweighs the good.
Gen Z’s turn to stocks over property isn’t born out of choice, but of necessity. When we (as humans) act out of choice, we typically have control, confidence, and a sense of ownership over our decision. That makes us more likely to commit, adapt, and create positive outcomes.
When we act out of necessity, our decision is typically shaped by constraint, not preference. It can still lead to survival or progress, but this is often with frustration, less stability, and a higher risk of regret.
Choice fosters empowerment, necessity fosters compromise.
