Research

Renters 30 years of age and under, who now make up slightly more than one-quarter of the heads of households of rental units, are bolstering housing demand in markets known for their affordability and livability.

After taking a pause during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. multifamily market experienced a banner year in 2022. Throughout the year, Arbor continued to provide unique research and insights into our markets. Here’s a look at our top Arbor research articles from 2022, in case you missed them.

As we move into 2023, all eyes will once again be on the Federal Reserve, the job market, and the housing market. Investors who are in a good position going into the correction will be able to take advantage of opportunities.

Driven by cyclical, demographic, and technological factors, the single-family rental (SFR) sector has matured over the past decade. The once-fragmented industry has both coalesced and professionalized. While the evolution of the SFR sector has been explored at length, a clear picture of its core set of tenants is just now coming into focus.

Amid economic headwinds, SFR is well-positioned as a primary alternative for would-be homebuyers priced out of ownership in today’s high-interest-rate housing market.

The small multifamily sub-sector remains in a favorable position to withstand macroeconomic instability.

Arbor’s latest Affordable Housing Trends Report, produced in partnership with Chandan Economics, examines the affordable housing market’s growth trajectory in a challenging economic climate.

Multifamily rent growth remained strong in the San Antonio market during the third quarter of 2022, although began showing deceleration from the most recent record highs measured earlier in the year. Barriers to homeownership continued to drive rental demand, as vacancy rates reached all-time lows.

With the latest release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), policymakers and consumers alike found signs of inflation relief for the first time in a long time. Despite the CPI’s overall improvement in October, one notable price category is still seeing rising inflation: rent of primary residence. The annual growth rate for the rent component of the CPI has now increased for 15 consecutive months.

The single-family rental (SFR) market maintained a favorable outlook in the third quarter of 2022 as the national housing market began cooling. Amid economic headwinds, SFR is well-positioned as a primary alternative for would-be homebuyers priced out of ownership in today’s high-interest-rate housing market.