Real estate has long enjoyed the reputation as an inflation hedge. According to data and analysis from JLL, even with the spikes in CPI the US has been experiencing, that statement remains true, at least for multifamily. And as pressure builds on the ability to increase rents and allow continued profitable expansion, there's evidence that the inflation rate has begun to slow.

"The national average rent growth for Class A multi-housing properties has surpassed inflationary growth by 198 basis points from 2010 to the first quarter of 2022," according to JLL. "In fact, in the first quarter of 2022, national multi-housing rents increased 15 percent year-over-year, as rising inflation translated to significantly higher rents."

Multifamily housing does have an ability to mark rents to market, increasing them both on an annual basis at renewal time and when there is turnover in units. According to Yardi Matrix, multifamily asking rents hit an all-time high in April of $1,659, with rents up 8.8% in all but one of the top 30 metropolitan areas.