A Brain Inteligência Estratégica survey found that houses and land plots took 52% of Brazilian buyers' preference in Q4 2025, against 48% for apartments.
According to Portas (Notícias), citing a report by NSC Total, houses and plots of land — whether on regular streets or in gated communities — accounted for 52% of Brazilian consumers' preference in the fourth quarter of 2025. The figure comes from a survey by Brain Inteligência Estratégica; apartments took the remaining 48%. The data does not point to an abandonment of high-rise living, but it shows room for horizontal products that combine private space, security and shared services. Interest is higher among younger buyers: 60% of respondents aged 21 to 28 (Generation Z) said they prefer houses and plots. Across the whole sample, 35% planned to complete a purchase within 12 months. The report notes that the wish for more space and autonomy goes hand in hand with a buying process shaped by price, credit, location and infrastructure. In the state of Santa Catarina, developers and land developers have started to explore gated communities, subdivisions and planned neighborhoods in markets close to urban centers and tourist destinations. The approach targets buyers who want to live or invest outside the standard high-rise format, with more contact with green areas and lower density. Portas also stresses that consumer preference alone does not make a project viable. Horizontal developments use more land per unit and depend on road access, sanitation, retail and public facilities. The challenge for the market is to turn the desire for a house into supply that matches incomes and commuting realities, without raising everyday costs or putting pressure on municipal infrastructure.