"Let's Help Our Kid Buy a Home"... Half of Property Gifts in Seoul Come from People in Their 50s and 60s

[The Financial News] Nearly half of all gifts of multi-unit properties in Seoul last month were made by people in their 50s and 60s.
On the 16th, real estate platform Zigbang analyzed ownership transfer registration statistics from the Supreme Court Registration Information Plaza. The analysis showed that the number of people gifting property in Seoul reached 1,773 in February 2026, up from 1,624 in January.
In February, the age distribution of people gifting property in Seoul was 3.61% in their 40s, 16.19% in their 50s, 32.83% in their 60s, and 43.03% aged 70 or older.
The share of those aged 70 or older fell from 49.26% in January to 43.03% last month, while the share of people in their 50s rose from 13.42% to 16.19%. Combined, people in their 50s and 60s accounted for 49.02%, surpassing the 43.03% share of those 70 and older. Overall, older age groups still make up a large portion, but participation by people in their 50s and 60s has been increasing, indicating that the timing of property gifts is gradually moving earlier.
This trend is particularly evident in the Seoul metropolitan area, where property is being gifted at an earlier stage and by relatively younger age groups. As of last month in Gyeonggi Province, the age distribution was 6.16% in their 40s, 17.86% in their 50s, 29.52% in their 60s, and 41.17% aged 70 or older. Compared with the national average, people in their 50s and 60s account for a relatively higher share. In particular, the combined share of those in their 50s and 60s was 47.38%, exceeding the 41.17% share of those 70 and older.
In contrast, regions outside the metropolitan area still show a clear pattern in which most property gifts are made by people aged 70 or older. As of last month, Jeollabuk-do had the highest share of donors aged 70 or older at 78.13%, followed by South Jeolla Province at 55.91%, South Gyeongsang Province at 55.78%, South Chungcheong Province at 53.57%, North Chungcheong Province at 52.78%, and Gangwon State at 51.54%.
Zigbang explained, "The difference in the age structure of property gifts between the Seoul metropolitan area and other regions appears to stem from the fact that, in the metropolitan area, parents are increasingly moving up the timing of gifts to match the period when their children are buying homes." The company added, "As housing prices in the Seoul metropolitan area have remained high, there has been a growing number of cases where parents' funds are used when the younger generation purchases a home."
Zigbang went on to say, "Stricter lending regulations have limited the amount of financing available for home purchases, increasing the burden of the equity buyers must provide themselves," and analyzed, "As it has become harder to raise funds through loans than in the past, more parents are using property gifts as a way to transfer assets to their children during the home-buying process."
act@fnnews.com Reporter Choi Ah-young Reporter