• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, Yesterday

Facing sky-high prices and limited housing supply, Gen Z is making do—with a drill. Lowe’s is launching a new home improvement creator network, enlisting YouTube megastar MrBeast and others to help younger consumers build skills, tackle projects, and maybe even "like" a trip to the hardware store.

MrBeast, YouTube’s most-followed creator, is among the first to sign on. He’ll collaborate with Lowe’s on exclusive content tied to season two of "Beast Games," including a curated storefront on Lowes.com featuring his favorite DIY picks.

The Mooresville, N.C.-based retailer says the network welcomes creators of all sizes, encouraging “project-driven storytelling” that builds engagement both with the brand and the creators’ personal followings.

The network, which gathered 17,000 creators in beta launch,  features a multitiered system with competitive commissions and customizable storefronts linked directly to Lowes.com. Members also gain access to product samples and training resources. As their audiences grow, they will have the opportunity to get project funding, long-term sponsorships and exclusive access to events.

Lowe’s hopes the network will deepen the brand’s connection with both millennial and Gen Z audiences, age groups that turn to creators for inspiration and advice. These projects also aim at building communities around housing for younger consumers, a part of their lives that is uniquely problematic. Between high interest rates and housing shortages, buying a home—let alone finding the cash to spruce it up—is daunting.

Just over one-quarter (26.1%) of Gen Z-ers owned their home in 2024, according to the latest analysis from Redfin, the real estate broker, essentially flat from 2023 (26.3%) and 2022 (26.2%). The story is similar for millennials, with just 54.9% owning their home last year, essentially unchanged from 2023. Before 2024, the millennial homeownership rate had increased each year since 2012. 

Put another way, about 33% of today’s 27-year-olds are homeowners. When the average baby boomer was 27, 41% owned their homes. Among millennials, 56% of 35-year-olds owned their home in 2024, compared to 59.4% of Gen X-ers and 61.5% of boomers when they were 35.

Many of those younger homeowners, though, are ambitious about projects. A recent survey from "This Old House," a DIY bible, reports that 48% of homeowners plan to make renovations in 2025, with younger Americans much more likely to do so. Leading the pack are millennial homeowners (60%), followed by Gen Z (56%) and Gen X (50%). Boomers are less likely to have remodeling plans, with only 32% planning renovations.