With homebuying out of reach for many, more tenants are staying in the rental market longer than in previous cycles. This dynamic offers multifamily investors a strategic opportunity to focus on tenant retention, according to Dr. Sam Chandan, one of the commercial real estate industry’s leading scholars, who recently shared his expert insights on the 2026 Housing Outlook webinar with RentRedi.

Senior debt, a foundational element of most multifamily property acquisitions and developments, rarely covers the full capital requirement. To bridge the gap between what senior lenders offer and what sponsors need, many borrowers pursue mezzanine financing, which provides greater leverage and more control.

Sponsors today are increasingly choosing bridge lending solutions to capitalize on opportunities during the lease-up and stabilization phases, with multifamily completions projected to remain elevated through 2030. Bridge loans, when paired with a lender equipped to support your investment needs from construction through permanent financing, can effectively position borrowers for long-term success.

With constantly changing market conditions, investors sometimes need access to capital with flexible terms to improve or secure an asset. Commercial bridge loans are a popular financing tool that provides borrowers with short-term capital for renovations and purchases. They are often the perfect first step in the door to the beginning of a long-term financial partnership.

Arbor’s platform of diverse multifamily financing solutions and our strong industry relationships drive us to the top of the multifamily lender rankings year after year. Through decades-long partnerships with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHA, our best-in-class team delivered results for our borrowers in 2023, propelling Arbor to the top of the partner rankings.

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.