Market Intelligence: 2025 U.S. Economic Outlook
The national economy has faced a series of ups and downs in recent years, but it has generally remained relatively resilient over the past 12 months. Still, downward pressure on job growth and normalizing wage growth are key focal points, especially for those looking at housing demand drivers. Sector-level performance bifurcation is another focal point as many higher-wage sectors like technology and finance have slowed due to hikes in interest rates. Meanwhile, job growth in government, education and health care services remains strong.
In addition, with the inauguration of a new president, industry professionals have been asked questions about interest rates (and whether rate cuts will continue or slow), the potential impact(s) of tariffs and the broader potential impact of immigration reform.
Join RealPage® experts for a look at the state of the U.S. economy and the broader implications of potential economic shifts on the rental housing market. Topics explored include:
- An overview of key economic performance metrics at the start of the year
- Key economic headwinds and tailwinds that may affect rental housing demand in the near term
- How inflationary pressures influence micro-level (e.g., households) and macro-level (e.g., fiscal policy) decision-making
- Broader thoughts on what to watch in the coming months for upside and downside economic influences relating to CRE investment trends
Carl Whitaker is RealPage’s Chief Economist, leading the company's team of economists and market analysts. Carl and the Market Intelligence team specialize in analyzing and disseminating economic and market trends for the rental housing industry. He primarily focuses on presenting trends in the rental housing industry to a wide audience, including investors, asset managers, operations professionals and media, among other personas. Carl has been cited in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and GlobeSt and is a frequent keynote speaker for industry events. Carl holds degrees from the University of North Texas, including a Master of Science in Applied Geography.
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.
