Multifamily

In recent years, Atlanta has become a top choice for corporate relocations, causing double-digit multifamily rental rate growth, an increase in pricing and a general benefit to the industry as a whole. In 2021, rental rates rose at an average of 11.7 percent and last year that number reached 16.8 percent. As a result, from 2021 through much of 2022 the metropolitan area experienced a record amount of investment activity, with $20.8 billion and $14.8 billion trading hands, respectively. During the first six months of 2023, however, transaction activity slowed and began returning to more typical levels, dropping approximately 82 percent year-over-year from those highs. Much of the decline in transaction activity experienced today can be accredited to the Federal Reserve’s sizable interest rate hikes over the past 18 months, resulting in a significant expansion in cap rates and a divide between buyer and seller pricing expectations.  During the first half of 2023, approximately 54 transactions occurred, compared to 172 recorded for the same period last year for assets valued at $5 million or more. Much of this activity was driven by smaller deal sizes and private capital as institutional investors embrace a “wait and see” agenda in hopes of …