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A nationwide housing shortage of rental homes, coupled with the rising costs of homeownership, has fueled the popularity of high-quality, affordable single-family rental (SFR)/build-to-rent (BTR) homes. In recent years, SFR/BTR construction starts have consistently reached new highs. In today’s economic environment, where mortgage payments are more expensive than rent payments in many markets, build-to-rent loans are a forward-thinking investment strategy.

The SFR sector is well-positioned to limit distress through the challenges of the current moment while advancing its standing within the single-family housing market for the long term.

Following a banner year in 2022, the U.S. multifamily market held steady during 2023. Arbor provided research and insights into our markets throughout the year. Here’s a look at our top Arbor research articles from 2023, in case you missed them.

Miami — a market with an attractive climate, urban amenities, and quality transportation options — has seen intense post-pandemic population growth. While its resurgence has been celebrated by many, Miami’s success has come at the cost of weakening rental affordability in the city.

For low-income renters, affordability is a deeply rooted issue. Since 2010, rental affordability has consistently and severely eroded in the U.S., with average rents growing faster annually than average incomes more than 72% of the time. As renters face increased inflationary pressures, state and local governments are exploring a mix of creative and tried-and-true solutions to expand the affordable housing supply.

As the single-family rental (SFR) investment market matures, a clearer picture of its typical renter has begun to come into focus. On December 5 at IMN’s 11th Annual Single Family Rental Forum (West), a group of industry leaders, including Arbor’s Tres Seippel, Director, Construction Management, explored how demographic trends have influenced the rise in popularity of single-family rental homes.

Although they remain near historical lows, apartment vacancy rates in the U.S. have begun to climb. However, this recent reversal may be a temporary trend, driven by renter satisfaction and a slowdown in the pace of new construction.

While macroeconomic headwinds remain a constant challenge, the small multifamily sector has demonstrated its ability to bend rather than break.

At the eCore23 Summit in Miami in November, two long-time colleagues who first met in the 1990s, Arbor Chairman and CEO Ivan Kaufman and RXR Chairman and CEO Scott Rechler, hosted an exclusive, hour-long Fireside Chat before an intimate group of multifamily leaders.

Arbor’s Single-Family Rental Investment Trends Report Q4 2023, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, explores a multifamily sector ending the year on a high note as demand climbs for quality single-family rental (SFR) homes. Even with interest rates high, more shovels went in the ground for SFR projects, increasing build-to-rent (BTR) construction’s market share to a new peak. In the third quarter, SFR’s robust rent collections and retreating cap rates also demonstrated the sector’s continued resiliency amid economic dislocation.