More than half of Brazilians (56%) say that climate events could impact the choice of their next property. This is revealed by the research “Retratos do Morar” (Portraits of Living), conducted by Ipsos-Ipec and commissioned by Grupo QuintoAndar.
Amidst COP30, the survey provides an unprecedented overview of how the climate crisis is already impacting one of the most important decisions in people’s lives: choosing a home. The data shows that 52% believe the neighborhood they live in is not prepared to face extreme climate events.
The survey, which interviewed 2,485 people and has a margin of error of two percentage points, provides a generational breakdown and shows that pessimism varies depending on age. According to the survey, 56% of Generation Z (ages 18 to 28) think the neighborhood they live in is not prepared to deal with ongoing climate changes, compared to 41% of Baby Boomers (61 years or older).
“This difference in perception between generations is very significant. Younger people grew up with the climate crisis as a present and urgent reality, which naturally reflects in greater skepticism about the capacity of urban infrastructure to respond. They not only worry more about the future but also see the vulnerabilities of the present more acutely,” says Thiago Reis, Manager of Communication and Data at Grupo QuintoAndar.
In total, 61% of respondents say that concern about climate change will be greater in the future, considering the impacts that homes might suffer.
When asked about characteristics to look for when buying or renting a property, considering climate events, Brazilians list, in order:
- Far from hills/slopes that may have a risk of landslides: 40%
- Properties in higher regions, without flood risk: 37%
- Wooded location/close to green areas: 26%
- Thermal comfort/ventilation/air conditioning: 26%
- Constructions with specific/resistant/protective materials: 23%
- Solar panels: 20%
- Rainwater harvesting and reuse: 12%
- Green roof (vegetation planted over a waterproof system): 6%
In the generational breakdown, the high percentage of concern among Baby Boomers to avoid regions prone to flooding stands out: 49% consider a location free of this risk essential.
“It is a generation that witnessed the urbanization of cities and experienced the effects of historic floods. The concern is pragmatic: protecting the assets built over a lifetime and ensuring safety in a phase where tranquility is a priority,” states the Communication and Data Manager at Grupo QuintoAndar.
Also according to the research, 32% of Brazilians say they have already lived in properties with infiltration and humidity, 19% report damage to doors, windows, roofs, or external areas due to climate events, 18% say they have lived in places that suffered structural damage, and another 12% cite electrical or hydraulic damage.
Although one in three respondents say they have never resided in a property that suffered damage caused by climate events in the country, there is a gap when analyzing the experience of each age group: 51% of Baby Boomers report never having lived in affected properties, while only 25% of people from Generation Z say the same.
Methodology
In total, 2,485 online interviews were conducted with the Brazilian population aged 18 or over, from classes A, B, and C, in all five regions of the country (Southeast, South, North, Northeast, and Midwest). There is a representative sample of the metropolitan regions of Rio, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, and Curitiba. The survey was conducted between August 14 and 31, 2025, and has a margin of error of two percentage points plus or minus for the total sample.