This gets posted a lot and the reality is that hedge funds own a very small percentage of properties: it's hard to find numbers, but anywhere from <1% ("how many single-family homes do hedge fund owners own" / "how many single-family homes exist") to 3% (how many "institutional investors" own) [1]. They allegedly purchased ~27% of the new homes during the first 3 months of 2023 [1], which is a larger ratio (and not ideal), but still less than the majority. The majority of homes are owned by individuals [2], and the main reason prices are high is supply and demand.