Walker & Dunlop’s Built-For-Rent Report Highlights Accelerated Growth

BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Walker & Dunlop, Inc. released its 2025 Built-For-Rent (BFR) report, that offers comprehensive market trends and analysis on the rapid expansion of this housing sector. As a leader in this space, Walker & Dunlop has facilitated over $3.4 billion in BFR financing and investment sales, providing expert guidance to developers and investors navigating this dynamic asset class.

“BFR has emerged as a fast-growing and highly strategic segment within multifamily real estate,” said Walker Harris, senior vice president and co-head of Multifamily at Walker & Dunlop. “Fueled by evolving renter preferences, constrained for-sale inventory, and widening affordability challenges in homeownership, BFR presents renters with a unique option: purpose-built single-family homes combined with the flexibility of renting.”

The report explores the current BFR market, the advantages and challenges of BFR investment, and the ways in which Walker & Dunlop facilitates strategic investment in the BFR space.

Why BFR Demand Is Accelerating:

• A Shifting Renter Profile: Renters choose BFR for lifestyle and flexibility, enjoying home-like features without mortgage commitments.
• Supply-Demand Imbalance: Rental housing demand exceeds supply as population growth outpaces new single-family home construction.
• Affordability Gap Widens: Rising homeownership costs make buying less affordable, increasing interest in BFR communities.
• Rent vs. Own: A Compelling Cost Comparison: BFR renting often costs significantly less than owning a comparable home, offering notable savings.

For owners and investors, BFR offers institutional-grade stability by combining single-family home appeal with multifamily management, leading to stable cash flow and higher occupancy rates around 96%. Its diverse product types—detached homes, townhomes, and horizontal apartments—allow tailored investment strategies, with single-family detached homes often commanding the highest prices for closely mimicking traditional homeownership.

“At Walker & Dunlop, we provide comprehensive capital solutions tailored to every stage of the Built-For-Rent lifecycle, from development and acquisition to investment,” said Keaton Merrell, managing director of Capital Markets at Walker & Dunlop. “As the #1 Fannie Mae DUS® lender in 2024, we offer clients access to scalable, attractive financing alongside a broad range of debt and equity options. Our deep market expertise and expansive network enable us to deliver customized advisory services that help clients mitigate risk and accelerate execution. We are proud to be a trusted partner driving growth and stability in this dynamic sector.”

For insights on BFR and to explore key trends shaping the market, download Walker & Dunlop’s 2025 Built-For-Rent report here.

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) is one of the largest commercial real estate finance and advisory services firms in the United States and internationally. Our ideas and capital create communities where people live, work, shop, and play. Our innovative people, breadth of our brand, and our technological capabilities make us one of the most insightful and client-focused firms in the commercial real estate industry.