At Colliers we understand the importance of interconnected data, macroeconomic trends, and anecdotes in real estate decisions. With that in mind, here are 10 numbers that have recently caught our attention.

  1. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index rose 18.8% in 2021, the fastest since the mid-2000s housing boom.
  2. Homeowners accessed $80 billion in home equity in the fourth quarter of 2021, the largest volume in 15 years, per Black Knight Financial Technology Solutions.
  3. RealPage reported that the newer renters’ incomes, averaging slightly above $70,000 nationally, were 11% above pre-pandemic highs for this group. Rent-to-income ratios nationally are in the affordable low-20% range.
  4. However, the Wall Street Journal reported that more than a dozen states are considering legislation on some form of rent control.
  5. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index fell to 59.7 in early March, the lowest since 2011, mostly due to rising gas prices and persistent inflation.
  6. A revised EB-5 visa program was approved by Congress, with more stringent reporting requirements and higher minimum investment criteria for foreigners seeking U.S. residency. The law imposes a new minimum investment of $1,050,000 for standard EB-5 investments and $800,000 for investments in Targeted Employment Areas (TEAs).
  7. Datex Property Solutions reported that February 2022 retail rent collections were stronger than in February 2020, the first time since March 2020 that this has happened.
  8. AlixPartners reported that auto dealers have about one million vehicles on their lots, far fewer than the average of three to four million.
  9. Richard Florida and think tank Heartland Forward report that the creative class (holders of a bachelor’s degree or higher who work in knowledge, professional, and creative occupations) is spreading out from the coastal cities. Nashville had the largest gain in college grads of any metro area between 2010-2019 (among metro areas with more than one million people).
  10. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported that college enrollment declined in fall 2021 from 2020, and 1.2 million fewer students are enrolled than in the fall of 2019.

Download the report.