The U.S. multifamily sector continued to build momentum at the start of 2026. Rent growth moved into positive territory, and a moderating construction pipeline showed that vacancy may have reached its cycle peak.

Arbor’s track record of top finishes across multifamily agency rankings reflects the depth of our financing capabilities, the strength of our industry partnerships, and our disciplined, detail-driven approach to execution. Longstanding relationships with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) — built over many years of close collaboration — enable our team to deliver strong borrower outcomes across market cycles, reinforcing Arbor’s position as one of the top multifamily lenders in 2025.

Senior renters are increasingly choosing multifamily housing, with more than half now living in these rental properties, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Where they live — both by property type and by metropolitan area — provides insight into how housing preferences, local market conditions, and migration patterns shape rental housing demand.

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Arbor is proud to have planted thousands of trees in the past 40 years – nearly 22,000 in the past five years alone – and we’re still going strong. Since day one, Arbor’s focus on community-building, which grew from the forward-thinking vision of Chairman, CEO, and President Ivan Kaufman, has defined the company’s direction and driven its philanthropic activities.

The single-family rental (SFR) sector continued to demonstrate resilience in early 2026, even as home price appreciation cooled.

Renters accounted for roughly four-in-five new households last year, demonstrating how much rental demand has climbed while the for-sale housing market remains soft. Based on an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, Arbor Realty Trust and Chandan Economics examine how rental and homeowner growth in 2025 compare and outline the economic factors supporting the rise in demand across multifamily and single-family rental (SFR) housing.

Arbor Realty Trust’s Top Markets for Multifamily Investment Report, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, weighed 25 variables within 10 categories to pinpoint the large metropolitan areas that are this spring’s most attractive locations for commercial real estate investment.