Articles

Annual Build-to-Rent Starts Hit Another High in Q3 2024

As more single-family rental (SFR) operators rely on build-to-rent (BTR) development to supply new inventory, construction starts have steadily risen, reaching another record high in the third quarter of 2024. SFR/BTR construction has eclipsed 92,000 units in the last four quarters — an all-time high and an annual increase of 31.4%.

Articles

LIHTC Program: An Impactful Affordable Housing Financing Resource

As renters face a national shortage of 7 million low-income rental homes, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program is pivotal in helping to close the affordability gap for renters. It is the nation’s most significant resource for affordable apartment housing construction, which gives state and local agencies approximately $10 billion in annual budget authority to issue tax credits for affordable housing development.

Articles

FHFA Loan Caps for 2025: What Multifamily Borrowers Need to Know

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced a $3 billion boost to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s volume cap for loan purchases in 2025 to $146 billion ($73 billion for each agency). This increase in FHFA loan caps for 2025 aligns with industry expectations, given the anticipation of improving market conditions and lending activity expected in a lower interest rate environment. Next year’s cap for the Government-Sponsored Entities (GSEs) is an increase of approximately 4% from the $140 billion limit set for 2024.

Analysis

U.S. Multifamily Market Snapshot — November 2024

The U.S. multifamily market held steady in a more normalized cycle through the first three quarters of 2024, following its skyrocketing recovery from the pandemic-related contraction. Rental demand remained strong, driven by the continued nationwide housing shortage and strong wage growth, while the high levels of new construction seen over the last two years appears to have peaked.

Current Reports

Small Multifamily Investment Trends Report Q4 2024

Small multifamily’s normalization pushed forward last quarter as the Federal Reserve made a long-awaited reduction to the target federal funds rate. Arbor’s Small Multifamily Investment Trends Report Q4 2024, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, shows signs of stability have multiplied. Robust rental demand, a limited supply of quality affordable housing, and several other promising developments should support the subsector’s strength heading into 2025.

Analysis

Top U.S. Multifamily Rent Growth Markets — Q3 2024

The U.S. multifamily market held steady in a more normalized cycle during the third quarter of 2024. Rental demand remained strong, while new leaders emerged among the top markets for rent growth.

Articles

Top Markets for Wage Growth in 2024

One of the most essential factors multifamily investors need to consider before executing a transaction is the health of the local labor market. Wage growth and other trends are driven by a delicate, constantly adjusting balance of labor supply and demand. In some markets, an inflow of employers can cause wages to spike. In others, population outflows can create the same effect. In this deep dive, we expand on the data findings from the 2024 Top Markets for Multifamily Investment Report, exploring the unique conditions driving metro wage growth trends.

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Arbor CEO Ivan Kaufman on Top Opportunities in the Housing Market

Arbor Realty Trust’s CEO reveals when he expects the housing market to return to equilibrium and why he’s optimistic on the year ahead

The multifamily and single-family rental markets are stronger than ever, despite the current imbalance in supply and demand, noted Ivan Kaufman, founder, chairman and CEO of Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR) in an interview on TD Ameritrade Network’s Morning Trade Live with Oliver Renick.

While there was concern over new supply getting to the market due to a dislocation in the commodities market, notably lumber, Kaufman explained that these issues were mostly temporary and beginning to dissipate.

Labor shortages have been another factor exacerbating the supply/demand imbalance, which Kaufman anticipates will also begin to normalize come September, as pandemic-related emergency measures such as those under the CARES Act expire and people return to work.

Once commodity prices, labor and the supply chain are back to more normal levels, “I think you’ll start to see housing delivered. And over the 12-month period after that you’ll see supply and demand get more to equilibrium,” he said.

Another sign of the housing market’s recovery has been a relative pullback in capital market activity by the Federal Reserve and the government sponsored enterprises (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac), as other sources of liquidity return to the market.

“As the environment is getting back to normal, [the Federal Reserve, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac] are going to pull back. They did a great job of providing liquidity to the market during this period in 2020 when there was huge disruption,” Kaufman said. “I think the Fed should step back a little bit and let the market equilibrium return to normal and do it gradually.”

Kaufman also discussed Arbor’s recent public offering of 6 million shares of common stock, noting his optimism about the market and Arbor’s growth potential in the year ahead.

“We’re funding our growth and every dollar is accretive and every dollar is accounted for. We’re very much in a great position to be able to add capital at attractive prices, add capital that’s accretive and which will help grow our dividend,” Kaufman noted.

The additional capital will be used to support Arbor’s investment in growing sectors like single-family build-to-rent communities, he said.

“We’re the leader in that space. We think that’s where there’s a lot of expertise required,” he stated. “In every line of our business we’re seeing extraordinary opportunities and a lot of juice left.”

Watch the full interview above.