While markets undergo rapid recalibration, the small multifamily market’s performance remains strong and stable. Arbor’s Small Multifamily Investment Trends Report Q2 2025, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, details how the sector’s resilient fundamentals effectively support its growth amid ongoing economic volatility.
FREDDIE MAC® Proprietary Preferred Equity behind Conventional Loans Arbor now offers access to proprietary preferred equity behind all Freddie Mac Conventional loans we originate. With Arbor, you can simultaneously secure a senior loan and preferred equity under one roof, streamlining your experience throughout the lifecycle of your loan.
The U.S. multifamily sector finished 2024 with the wind at its sails, as the market settled into a more normalized cycle with emerging opportunities.
The U.S. multifamily market continued to settle into a normalized cycle, despite ongoing uncertainties surrounding the global economy and labor market. There is a rising tide of optimism for the sector ahead and investors are continuing to take advantage of market opportunities.
In a rapidly evolving economic environment, the top markets for multifamily investment tend to shift quickly. In this video, Dr. Sam Chandan, founding director of the C.H. Chen Institute for Global Real Estate Finance at the NYU Stern School of Business and founder of Chandan Economics, discusses the findings of Arbor’s Top Markets for Multifamily Investment Report Spring 2025, which was developed in partnership with Chandan Economics.
Inspired to advance Arbor’s more than 30-year legacy of tree plantings, our Long Island and Buffalo teams recently planted saplings, adding to the over 20,400 trees planted and pledged throughout our company’s history.
Population growth, a critical factor in assessing rental housing demand, increased 0.9% in the U.S. during 2024, the fastest annual rate since 2008. However, growth rates were much higher for many markets, especially those in Texas, Florida, and the Carolinas. As first explored in Arbor’s Top Markets for Multifamily Investment Report Spring 2025, we dive deeper into metro-level population growth in markets with at least 500,000 residents to find the nation’s top markets for rental housing demand growth.
Arbor’s platform of diverse multifamily financing solutions, combined with our strong industry relationships and our commitment to accuracy and close collaboration with our government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) partners, drives us to the top of the multifamily lender rankings year after year. Through decades-long relationships with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHA, our best-in-class team delivered results for our borrowers in 2024, propelling Arbor to the top of the partner rankings.
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Units
St. Louis
Year Built
Experienced multifamily owners were looking for a refinance on a 314-unit apartment community located in the St. Louis metro area. The sponsors originally built the property in two phases, in 2003 and 2009, as a condo development. However, due to softening in the condo market, a portion of the unsold units were operated as multifamily. The sponsors bought back the sold condo units in 2018 to operate the whole community as multifamily rentals.
Arbor assisted the sponsors with securing a bridge loan in 2019 for the completion of renovations and stabilization of the property, which was only at half occupancy at the time. As of June 2020, the property reached over 90% occupancy and the borrowers were ready to refinance due to the increased value of the asset. The borrowers have a long-term relationship with Arbor and Fannie Mae, so they were comfortable working with Arbor to secure the right financing for their investment needs.
Arbor’s underwriting and originations departments were tasked with demonstrating the sponsors’ continued commitment to the property. Arbor was able to point to the borrowers’ nearly two decades of ownership, local market expertise and investment in improving the asset’s quality and occupancy, which helped support the agency requirement that the borrower possess strong experience and a proven track record.
Arbor executed a 15-year fixed-rate loan under the Fannie Mae DUS® loan program. As a result of the transaction, the borrowers were able to refinance at a low interest rate.