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Blackstone Inc. (BX) is the world's largest alternative asset manager, known for its massive portfolio in private equity and real estate. Through subsidiaries like Invitation Homes (which was originally a Blackstone company and remains a symbol of the industry), Blackstone and similar institutional investors have become major players in the single-family rental market, owning hundreds of thousands of residential properties across the U.S.
Search interest spiked on January 7, 2026, following a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump announcing immediate steps to ban large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes. Trump stated he would call on Congress to codify this ban to improve housing affordability, writing, 'People live in homes, not corporations.' This news caused Blackstone's stock to tumble as much as 9% intraday before closing down roughly 5.6%. Other major residential REITs like Invitation Homes and American Homes 4 Rent also saw significant share price declines as investors reacted to the potential for aggressive federal regulation of the 'institutional landlord' model.
The announcement was welcomed by housing advocates and younger Americans who have felt priced out of the market by Wall Street cash offers. However, market analysts and constitutional experts are skeptical of the president's authority to unilaterally 'ban' such purchases, noting that property law is largely state-based. While some view the move as a long-overdue correction for the American Dream, others see it as 'smoke and mirrors' that may lead to legal challenges or failed legislation rather than a functional shift in housing policy.