Multifamily Leads Phoenix Investment Market

Jessica Morin

Multifamily is leading Phoenix investment activity—and for good reason. In the last few years, Phoenix has benefited from economic growth and diversity, population growth and strong job growth. This has created a real need for housing and has contributed to strong and sustained rent growth. These fundamentals fit the investment profile of most investors. But, in addition, Phoenix is also serving investors better yields than they would get in other major West Coast markets. In fact, the cap rate spread between Phoenix and California is 75 to 100 basis points.

“Over the last year, an influx of out-of-state and international buyers looked for higher returns in Phoenix,” Jessica Morin, senior research analyst at CBRE, tells GlobeSt.com. “While cap rates vary widely depending on multiple factors, in general, the cap rate spread between Phoenix and California can range between 75-100 bps for comparable multifamily properties. Furthermore, rising interest rates, hedging costs, and comparatively low cap rates in primary markets will shift institutional and international investors’ focus to dynamic secondary markets, including Phoenix, in search of returns.”