Arbor Realty Trust and Chandan Economics’ latest Special Report leverages industry-leading data analysis to interpret key multifamily real estate trends as the sector moves from recalibration to stabilization. With occupancy levels remaining strong and loan originations rebounding sharply, this biannual report outlines why now is an opportune time to deploy capital.
The nation’s rental housing is older than at any point on record, with a median age of 45 years, according to the 2026 America’s Rental Housing report from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS). America’s aging housing stock has created unique opportunities as the need for capital investments to rehabilitate and preserve affordable housing units rapidly rises.
Arbor’s Single-Family Rental Investment Trends Report Q1 2026, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, spotlights how market shifts, including the rising cost of living and historically high build-to-rent activity, have fueled record rental household growth.
Multifamily permitting trends indicate continued national stability amid local recalibration. Across the country, issuances were steady, rising just 2.6% in 2025. At the metropolitan level, trends diverged sharply, with some markets accelerating and others pulling back. Per-capita leaders continued to cluster around high-growth Sun Belt and regional hubs, while year-over-year market-level fluctuations suggest that more pipelines have become increasingly selective and, in some cases, more concentrated in large-scale projects.
The small multifamily sector entered 2026 on a strong note, even as lending conditions remained shaped by persistently high interest rates and regulatory uncertainties.
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), a part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is one of the largest mortgage insurers in the world. The agency insures mortgages on affordable housing, multifamily properties, single-family homes, and healthcare facilities. Since 1934, FHA has financed over 50,000 multifamily mortgages nationwide. Whether you’re interested in acquiring, refinancing, or rehabilitating an affordable housing property, FHA multifamily loans are a financing route you need to know about.
FHA® 232/223(f): Healthcare Refinance, Acquisition or Mod Rehab
Despite a national slowdown, population growth remained concentrated in a small group of states in 2025, where strong net domestic migration inflows, economic opportunity, and in some cases elevated birth rates drove the annual increases. Overall, 14 states had an annual population growth rate above 0.75%, while 12 states had less than 0.1%, according to a Chandan Economics analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey.
From appreciation programs, to branding contests, to employee profiles, Arbor’s Corporate Culture Committee (CCC) is moving the needle forward toward fostering the best possible work environment for our people. Here’s a look at CCC’s achievements to date and what’s on the horizon …
Employee Connectivity
Goal: Connect employees to the business and each other through both internal and external activities
Interaction/Engagement
Goal: Invite employee involvement, participation, feedback and input to make them part of major initiatives
Branding
Goal: Develop a consistent corporate culture brand and use internal and external channels to attract, retain and sustain employees
Our Arbor After Hours employee profiles showcase our people and the unique and interesting ways they spend their time outside Arbor. They highlight the things employees do to give back to their communities, enrich their own lives, recharge and reenergize. From skydiving, to volunteering, to rising up to challenges, the popular articles in this continuing series add a human interest element to our business and connect employees to each other, personally and professionally.
See Who We’ve Featured
Coming up – We’re planning several new initiatives, including Arbor Appreciations, where we’ll celebrate employee milestones like birthdays, service anniversaries and special project completions. An employee recognition program, Who Brings Out the Best in You?, will provide a forum for employees to acknowledge outstanding coworkers. The idea is to recognize and reward employees for their contributions to our business and toward enhancing their work environment. We’ll also promote team-building off-sites, group gatherings and activities, anything that brings our people together.
In our robust Be the Best You Can Be video series, employees across the business get to share their Arbor journeys with their coworkers, and viewers get to learn more about their fellow employees’ careers, insights and accomplishments.
Stay Interviews are part of a recruitment effort where we talk with employees with longer tenures to find out why they chose to come – and stay – at Arbor, then we publish their quotes on both social media and internally on Captivate.
We held grand opening celebrations for our two newest offices in Boston and Atlanta.
Other Happenings
Coming up – More Arbor Meet and Greets will provide employees even greater opportunities to connect with executives, face-to-face, in a casual setting
The CCC is focused on any and all efforts to promote Arbor’s brand internally and externally. The Six-Word Story contest gave all employees across the business a voice, asking them to sum up what Arbor means to them in just six words. We received more than 100 submissions. Winning stories now brand the walls of many of our offices as a reminder of our values and corporate culture. All in Arbor green! Our written and video content further drives home our brand message and provides a glimpse into Arbor’s unique corporate culture.
Coming up – In addition to new initiatives, we’re committed to enhancing existing programs that drive Arbor’s brand in our communities and beyond. Community engagement includes expanding our Corporate Challenge events in cities like Atlanta, Dallas and Cleveland. We’re also developing our corporate social responsibility statement and defining our charitable giving. In the social media realm, we’re kicking off a 10K Follower LinkedIn campaign. And, we will be naming ‘Social Ambassadors’ among our employee base soon.
