Connect Midwest Multifamily Trends 2026

Midwest markets have been among the leaders in annual rent growth for the past few years, attracting investors and developers. Hear from the industry leaders as they analyze the health of the apartment sectors, evaluate the return of potential risk profiles of rehabilitating older assets versus investing in new, stabilized properties. Find out what the long-term outlook is for sustaining this level of performance, where the most active sales and development markets can be found, whether urban or suburban is the better bet for growth and what kinds of projects are in demand. Key themes in 2026 include making affordable and workforce housing pencil out as value-add or ground-up product, the appeal of mixed-use development and the viability of build-to-rent single-family home development in the Midwest as well as opportunities and challenges in converting underperforming asset such as, office, hotels into residential units.

Multifamily investing is becoming competitive once again as sellers adjust their pricing expectations and buyers come off the sidelines. Our expert panel will discuss the strategies for securing financing in a volatile rate environment as well as managing loan maturities. Acquisition strategies for underwriting deals, identifying distress and best practices for acquiring assets below replacement cost.  Also, where is the institutional, private equity and foreign capital being deployed and how to balance risk and return.

You’ll learn from our experts about best practices in construction, design, and operations and how to deliver what tenants want while keeping operating margins positive. Incorporating wellness, flexible workspaces, community spaces, and high-tech infrastructure into new developments.  Mitigating the impact of labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and rising material costs on project proformas.  The importance of leveraging AI in property management for leasing automation, predictive maintenance, lead generation and back-office efficiency. Additionally, the use of smart home building technology, optimizing digital leasing, and marketing strategies.