Known for both its big-city excitement and suburban living options, the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex is now the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country with 7.5 million residents. At this rate of growth, DFW is poised to surpass Chicago as the third-most populous metroplex in the country within the next two decades. Although DFW is commonly recognized as a shared marketplace, it’s important to understand that Dallas and Fort Worth are two separate cities with separate real estate markets. Fort Worth’s downtown area and Western charm have attracted a total population of about 880,000 compared to Dallas’ international and metropolitan mecca of roughly 1.34 million, according to U.S. Census Bureau. As Dallas and Fort Worth continue to provide a record number of jobs to accommodate this growth, multifamily development is keeping pace. In the past year, 81 multifamily developments with 23,916 units opened in DFW, of which the market absorbed 20,456 units in that same period, reaching an occupancy rate of 91.8 percent. The strong job market and affordable cost of living throughout the metroplex continue to have a positive impact on multifamily development and construction, bringing a plethora of new players to the space. However, we continue to see …
