Current Reports

Top Markets for Multifamily Investment Report Spring 2025

Arbor’s Top Markets for Multifamily Investment Report Spring 2025, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, is your roadmap to the best locations to deploy capital. Based on the findings of our exclusive Multifamily Opportunity Matrix, this in-depth analysis assesses economic strength and market capabilities to navigate evolving conditions of the top 50 largest U.S. metros.

Research

Arbor’s data-driven articles and research reports empower multifamily and single-family rental investors and developers to make more profitable financial decisions.

Articles

Renters Account for Majority of Household Growth

The number of rental households climbed nearly 2% last year, as 848,000 more households became renters, an analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Housing Vacancies and Homeownership Survey shows (Chart 1). Rental households also hit a new high of 45.3 million, accounting for more than half of all U.S. household growth in 2024. Weakening affordability, evolving lifestyle preferences, and a limited supply of quality housing all contributed to surging multifamily and single-family rental (SFR) demand.

Articles

Solar Panel Usage Accelerates in Rental Properties

Solar panel installations, which skyrocketed in the U.S. over the last half-century, are projected to double to 10 million in just six years. While installations soared in all types of residences, owner-occupied properties significantly outpaced rentals. However, the evolving economics of solar power may be approaching a tipping point for single-family rental (SFR) operators looking for a differentiator.

Analysis

Small Multifamily Investment Snapshot — March 2025

Amid ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty, the small multifamily sector remains favorably positioned for stability as the structural need for affordable housing in the U.S. has supported the strength of the sector’s demand profile.

Articles

Top Markets for Rental Occupancy

Nationally, vacancies have risen, but the performance of rental housing is extremely localized. Out of the 75 largest U.S. metropolitan areas, the occupancy rate for all types of rental properties, including single-family rentals, 2-4 family, multifamily, and mobile homes, increased in 36 markets last year, while exceeding 95% in nearly one-third of all markets, according to an analysis of newly released U.S. Census Bureau data.[1] From Grand Rapids, MI, to Columbia, SC, the top markets for rental occupancy show where conditions are tightest and demand is strongest.

General: 800.ARBOR.10

Ivan Kaufman Shares His Housing Outlook on Yahoo! Finance

Yahoo Finance

While construction starts were down in February, Arbor Realty Trust’s CEO explains why he’s optimistic about the housing market

Despite construction starts declining 10.3% in February, the housing market is in a great position for success, noted Ivan Kaufman, the founder, chairman and CEO of Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ABR), in an interview with Yahoo! Finance’s Seana Smith and Jared Blikre.

“You have record appreciation. You have a creation of almost $4 trillion of wealth over the last 12 months. There’s not enough homes to go on the market for sale. People are hitting their asking prices. So I’m very, very bullish on the housing market,” Kaufman said. “I think there’s some temporary issues that are leading to those numbers. But I think overall, the housing market’s in a great space to win.”

Kaufman explained the biggest issue facing the housing industry is the lack of inventory available to meet surging supply.

“If you go to markets like Florida, Nashville, Phoenix, you don’t have the inventories. Homes come on the market, they’re sold. They’re selling for higher than the listing prices. So I think the abnormal demand that we saw due to COVID and due to the rapid drop in interest rates, that took a lot of the inventory.”

He added he expects in six to nine months, the market will begin to normalize and continue to grow throughout the year.

Watch the full interview here.