At this time last year, it was expected that the apartment sector would emerge in 2009 as the market-leading property type in terms of performance and investor demand. This has occurred, to a point-compared to its counterparts in the other property types, multifamily assets rank at the top of the list...

'People need a lot more flexibility than they had before.'

'People need a lot more flexibility than they had before.'

Sule Aygoren Carranza is the New York City-based editor of Real Estate Forum and multifamily editor for GlobeSt.com. She has been reporting on commercial real estate since 2001 and has received numerous awards for her coverage of the industry. A cum laude graduate from Hobart & William Smith Colleges,...

The third quarter numbers are in, and by all appearances, multifamily REITs are preparing to stay afloat in 2010.

SAN FRANCISCO-Those polled for PwC and ULI's <A href="http://www.uli.org/ResearchAndPublications/EmergingTrends/~/media/Documents/ResearchAndPublications/EmergingTrends/Americas/2010/EmergingTrends2010.ashx"> Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2010 </A> survey believe next year will be the worst for the industry since the Great Depression, but savvy players will be able to benefit.

SAN FRANCISCO-Those polled for PwC and ULI's <A href="http://www.uli.org/ResearchAndPublications/EmergingTrends/~/media/Documents/ResearchAndPublications/EmergingTrends/Americas/2010/EmergingTrends2010.ashx"> Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2010 </A> survey believe next year will be the worst for the industry since the Great Depression, but savvy players will be able to benefit.

The Fed's latest data indicates a slightly gloomier multifamily environment than what industry professionals see.