OkCupid and Opendoor delve into post-breakup moving patterns

Every March, there’s a spike in divorces and breakups, leading newly-single homeowners to do one of two things: (1) sell their homes quickly, and (2) download dating apps. 

In March 2023, OkCupid saw a more than 7% increase in “likes” on individual profiles, and over 8% increase in matches compared to the previous month. And they’re seeing similar trends this year. On the heels of breakup season, people are getting back out there!

To help folks in the midst of such major changes, Opendoor has partnered with dating app OkCupid to better understand post-breakup behaviors — especially when it comes to moving and home selling. The dating service added new matching questions to its app, which garnered 65K+ responses. 

Making a post-breakup move

After the dreaded breakup talk comes the even worse “move out” conversation. 86% of singles on OkCupid said they would move out after breaking up with their partner. Further, 55% of OkCupid daters would want to move out ASAP after a breakup, and 18% would leave within a week (14% could wait as long as a month; just 13% would not rush to move). 

Most OKCupid singles (80%) said they would rather move back in with their parents or couch surf (75%) than live under the same roof as their ex.

A majority of OkCupid singles (76%) say having to sell their place after a breakup is more stressful than a canceled flight. Contrast that to homeowners that sell directly to Opendoor and can close an average of 3x faster than a traditional sale. That speed can mean less time on the pain of decoupling and more time moving on.

Besides having to manage a rollercoaster of emotions and some tough conversations, finding your way out of a co-living situation and/or homeownership can add a whole new level of stress to your life. Michael Kaye, OkCupid’s Director of Brand Marketing and Communications, has some survival tips for the newly-single:

• Take a moment. Have clear expectations about whether you want to be the one to stay or move out of your shared space, and divide your belongings accordingly. Remember there are two people involved in this breakup; being fair will help you move through the process more quickly. 

• Ask for help. Lean on your family or friends for support. No one should have to go through a breakup on their own. Ask your ex to leave for a night, invite your friends over, order in, and start packing. A new chapter can be exciting! 

• Keep yourself busy. Moving out of a place with an ex, or having an ex move out, is a big change. Be kind to yourself and patient with your emotions. 

For singles who are navigating post breakup life and thinking about their next move, platonic co-buying might be a route to consider. According to Opendoor’s 2024 First-Time Homebuyer Report, 77% of first-time home shoppers bought their home with a non-romantic partner.

And when it comes time to rethink that living situation with a new match, co-buying with romantic partners remains a reliable route for first-time home shoppers: 61% of Opendoor’s survey respondents bought with a spouse or partner in 2023.

Whether you’re looking to sell your home and move out — and on — with minimal disruption to your life, or you’re ready to meet your next match, Opendoor and OkCupid have your back.

Visit Opendoor.com to learn about a stress-free solution for home buying and selling.

Download OkCupid for free now to meet your next match.

Opendoor’s 2024 First-Time Homebuyer Report: Methodology

The First-Time Homebuyer Report was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 nationally representative first-time US Homebuyers using an email invitation and an online survey. "Homebuyers" are defined as those who purchased their first home in the past 12 months, between January 2023 and December 2023. Data has been weighted to facilitate tracking.