Multifamily Talks
Welcome to Multifamily Talks – a property management podcast series featuring personal stories from Multifamily Industry insiders, their thoughts on the industry, and what they see on the horizon.
Episode 17: Odeta Kushi/ First American Financial Corporation: The Great American Housing Shortage?
Hear what this regular contributor to CNBC and Bloomberg TV has to say about the downward pressure of “locked away” housing inventory and how the underbuilt housing market has resulted in record numbers of multifamily housing units under construction. You’ll also learn how consumer confidence is affecting price rate growth and when, or even if, millennials will become homeowners.
Arben Skivjani
Deputy Chief Economist and Director of Forecasting
RealPage, Inc.
Arben Skivjani serves as a Deputy Chief Economist and Data Scientist for RealPage, Inc. His primary focus is on forecasting and econometric modeling, economic impact studies, reporting and analysis of macroeconomic trends that affect the multifamily industry. Prior to joining RealPage, Arben worked for several government and private sector entities, including the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services, Center for Business and Economic Development at the University of Alabama and Camoin Associates in Upstate New York.
Arben is heavily involved in the Dallas/Fort Worth Association for Business Economics where he currently serves as Vice President and is a member the National Association for Business Economics.
Arben holds a master’s degree in economics from The University of Alabama.
Odeta Kushi
Vice President, Deputy Chief Economist
First American Financial Corporation
Odeta serves as Deputy Chief Economist for First American Financial Corporation, a leading provider of title insurance, settlement services and risk solutions for real estate transactions. In her role as a deputy chief economist, she is responsible for analysis, commentary and forecasting trends in the real estate and mortgage markets.
Her primary research interests include real estate and urban economics and applied econometrics. She forecasts and analyzes developments and policy actions driving financial and real estate markets. She also conducts research around demographic trends, homeownership, affordability, the effects of regulation on market prices, and monitors and analyzes surveys and economics data related to the housing industry.
Odeta routinely provides economic and industry insights for leading real estate publications and delivers keynote presentations across the US. Her research has been published in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, NPR, Forbes, and Business Insider. She is also regularly featured on CNBC and Bloomberg. She is currently the co-host of the REconomy podcast, where she discusses economic issues that impact real estate, housing and affordability.
Odeta holds a MA in Economics/Econometrics from Northeastern University and a PhD in Economics from George Mason. She was recently named a 2023 Women of Influence by HousingWire and a Rising Star in Real Estate by Business Insider.