The Rent Roll with Jay Parsons

Midway through 2026, how is the year playing out relative to expectations for the U.S. apartment market? Rental housing economist Jay Parsons lays out the latest data and trends on supply, demand, occupancy, rents, affordability and much more. One pleasant surprise: Apartment absorption came in hotter than expected in the first half of 2026, leading to the best occupancy improvement since 2021, according to multiple datasets. What's driving those numbers, and is it sustainable? And are rents showing any signs of momentum? Later in the program, Jay brings in Quinn Eddins, the head of research and analytics for the nation's largest apartment operator, Greystar. Quinn and Jay have a friendly debate about the health and durability of apartment demand, and whether the market turned the corner in the 2nd quarter of 2026. Quinn also shares his take on which high-supplied Sun Belt markets are recovering fastest, and which are lagging behind. Also in this episode, Jay shares headlines from the week — touching on the Marriott hotel chain expanding into the apartment business and on New York's apartment construction numbers. And as always, Jay shares another edition of Rental Housing Trivia, too.

When will the apartment market rebound from the highest supply wave since the 1970s? When will rents recover and concessions burn off and occupancy rates stabilize. In search of an answer, rental housing economist Jay Parsons makes the case for the most oft-dismissed trope in economics: "It depends." In defense of "it depends," Jay shares real data highlighting the how the recovery pace varies dramatically even with the same metro area — and all the variables that can shape the pace of the rebound. In addition, in this week's "In the News" segment, Jay shares the latest intel on the ROAD to Housing Act and also talks about New York City's edict for a two-year rent freeze on rent stabilized apartments, and why the rent stabilized apartment market is becoming increasingly less liquid. As if more evidence needed, Jay discusses news of Google co-founder Sergey Brin selling his stake in a rent stabilized apartment fund for just six cents on the dollar. Furthermore, Jay shares how major new research on the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program proves LIHTC is far more affordable — and reaching far more low-income renters — than its critics want to admit. Later in the program, Jay interviews Bridge Property Management CEO Matt DeGraw. Bridge ranks among the nation's top 20 largest apartment owners. Matt and Jay talk about the apartment market's recovery, leasing trends, and differences between conventional and affordable housing.

The ROAD to Housing Act finally got through Congress this week, only to then hit an unexpected roadblock with the White House, as the President cancelled a planned bill signing ceremony — extending the cloud of uncertainty over the single-family rental and build-to-rent industries. But what's in this bill, and how would it impact rental housing, should it eventually become law? Rental housing economist Jay Parsons breaks down the details and explains why this is not the investor ban that many headlines are portraying it to be. Additionally, U.S. Congressman Josh Harder joins the podcast to take us behind the scenes on the ROAD to Housing Act and explain how the legislation came together and what impact it could have on the market. Rep. Harder was among the members of Congress who helped block Senate legislation that would have effectively nuked build-to-rent construction. Rep. Harder shares his view on how single-family rentals fit into the housing fabric of the U.S., and why conspiracy theories tend to dominate the housing narratives.

Rental housing economist Jay Parsons dives deep with UDR, America's longest-running apartment REIT, sharing the story from UDR's founding as a small Virginia operator in the 1970s to its growth into an S&P 500 company — and the many turns along the way. UDR's chief financial officer, David Bragg, joins the podcast and covers a wide range of topics from thoughts on the AvalonBay/Equity Residential merger to stock buybacks to managing apartments without leasing staff on site. Additionally, Jay gives his take on the big headline of the week: The U.S. Senate and House reached agreement on the ROAD to Housing Act, clearing its path to passage. What does that mean for single-family rentals and build-to-rent? Jay summarizes the legislation and its potential impact. Also, Jay shares the latest Census data on multifamily starts, and why you should take that data with a heavy grain of salt.

It's one of the largest apartment owners in the U.S., yet still often suffers from a case of mistaken identity: Berkshire. As in Berkshire Residential Investments, not Berkshire Hathaway. The two are not related, yet both companies track back 60+ years with names originating from the same part of the country. Rental housing economist Jay Parsons shares the story of the "other" Berkshire, and then talks with Berkshire's managing director and head of property operators, Alan King, about the state of the apartment market across the country. Berkshire operates all over the country, and Alan shares which markets are seeing market conditions improving fastest and how he sees the year progressing for multifamily operators. Additionally, with spring now in the books, Jay shares the latest on apartment rent and occupancy trends. Did the spring leasing play out as expected? Also in this episode, Jay breaks down a busy week of news headlines — including a lengthy article critical of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, plus three major news releases from apartment REITs.