Are you intrigued? Thinking about becoming a real estate professional? We don’t blame you! Now we’ll need to address how to go about acquiring this coveted designation.

If everything at the property is in as-expected condition, now is your time to seal the deal! Finalize any negotiations with the seller and bake the final numbers into your underwriting. If the numbers still work, including the cost of any capital improvements, you could soon be the proud new owner of a larger apartment community – a great way to grow and scale your real estate portfolio.

The Gross Rent Multiplier is a useful scanning tool for the investor in recognizing where opportunity may lie. When utilized with an assortment of other similarly broad, indicative metrics, it helps distinguish properties worthy of more in-depth investigation.

Author’s note: Yardi Matrix covers all multifamily properties of 50-plus units in size across 133 markets in the United States. This ranking reflects properties that are under construction within that sample group. This article was originally published in Multifamily Housing News on Aug., 21, 2020.

The COVID emergency has necessitated the discovery of unique and innovative approaches to market multifamily housing. We believe these new methods have demonstrated their value and genuinely are here to stay. The future is here, and it is unlikely that we will go back.

These considerations are notwithstanding, the nature of the deal – including the conditions imposed by the senior lender – will principally dictate which of these financing tools, Preferred Equity or Mezzanine Debt is most appropriate. Like all savvy shoppers around, talk with many different bankers to distinguish which products are best for you or your group.

In today's day and age, eye-catching images are critical to a successful leasing strategy. These tips will help property managers take their pictures while still professionally presenting the property. The more photos, the better, and ultimately, the faster you'll rent your apartments as a result.

Commercial real estate, once deemed an alternative investment, is growing more mainstream. Opportunities that were once only accessible to institutional investors and other high-net-worth individuals are now advancing their way to the masses thanks in part to REITs. We foresee this trend to continue as more people look for ways to broaden their investment portfolios.

Before considering any deal, in commercial real estate or otherwise, an investor should reflect on how various circumstances will impact their time horizon to help decide the types of assets they should invest in, including the risk profile of each.

Crowdfunding for commercial real estate projects is increasing in notoriety. Although still a niche market, it is unquestionably shifting to a more mainstream way for sponsors to finalize both equity and debt for their multifamily apartment projects.

We will see how this coronavirus pandemic will reshape the housing market. To date, the impacts have been limited. This could change, mainly if there’s a retreat in lending. But most investors continue to be bullish on the U.S. housing market, with good reason. Evidence of substantial rent collections, few defaults, limited inventory, and historically low interest rates will bolster the industry.

The positive news is that overall capital markets appear to be healthy. Like those in the past, this recession will weed out the less experienced sponsors to the benefit of the patient, well-capitalized buyers who are now in a great position to invest.

When it comes to owning a rental property, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Lessors are best served by getting comprehensive insurance coverage to protect against expensive expenses down the road. There are so many unknowns, particularly when renting to multiple residents. It’s better to pay a premium for coverage for the enhanced assurance that your investment is sufficiently protected.

Open two-way communication is vital. When adding a third party to the conversation, the legal fees will likely be more than rent obligations and create difficulty when looking to move elsewhere.

COVID-19 has diverse impacts within the Commercial Real Estate sector. CRE is not like the stock market; it takes longer for price adjustments to be revealed. All investors should continue to monitor closely.

These insights into the minds of youthful renters can help you, whether you’re evaluating a multifamily property or looking for better ways to manage your current portfolio. With Millennials encompassing such as a large share of today’s renting demographic, keeping their preferences in mind is always a wise idea.

There are numerous reasons to invest in multifamily as a product type. This isn’t to say that multifamily is foolproof—quite the contrary. For example, some may argue that multifamily is much more management intensive than the other product types. But a strong management structure, including a property management team and their vendors, can result in a highly lucrative investment.

Commercial real estate can become distressed for several reasons, some of which are harder to overcome than others. With strong familiarity with project management and oversight, an adept sponsor will find creative ways to turn these properties around.