Invest During Inflation!: How Investing in Commercial Multifamily Real Estate Protects You Against Inflation
We all know you should invest during inflation if you can manage your exposure to risk. I know it, you know it and Warren Buffet knows it. You don’t want your money to sit around doing nothing while it continues to lose value during an inflationary period. As Buffet points out in the article, real estate is a good investment during an inflationary period. I agree and would like to talk specifically about commercial multifamily real estate investment as I believe it is one of the most resilient ventures (in real estate or otherwise) when it comes to withstanding inflation effects. Whether small or large scale, the lease terms of commercial multifamily real estate investment are highly reliable business lifelines. While the agreement assures the tenants of an undisrupted stay in the property, it guarantees the investor of continuous returns on investment, irrespective of the economic conditions.
In the recent Covid19 period, most industries were barely pushing through, as the markets hit record lows. Investment property multifamily real estates were among the few investments that remained relatively strong against the diminishing market forces. Despite an initial dip, the market had a rapid recovery compared to most commercial industries.
Benefits of Apartment Investing During Inflation
Housing prices tend to increase during inflationary periods which in turn protects landlords against inflation. In addition, it increases the demand for rental homes due to reduced purchasing power. Let’s look at the various benefits of apartment investing when you invest during periods of inflation.
If you want to know more about apartment investments check out this page on multifamily investment which includes our top 9 reasons we think commercial multifamily are a great investment.
Reasons to consider multifamily when you invest during inflation:
1) Favorable lease terms
The lease agreements for commercial real estate investment have clauses that allow increasing the rents at constant intervals throughout the lease period. The agreement, for instance, could have a clause that requires a 2% increase in rental rates after each year. The return from the investment is bound to remain positive, as long as the rent increase rates are above the inflation rate.
Since the lease periods of commercial multifamily investments are generally shorter than most other commercial real estate, landlords can conveniently increase the rent quicker. This short lease period allows investors to take advantage of inflation, increasing the rent with every tenant lease period renewal.
2) Single-family home prices increase with rise of inflation
Single-family home prices tend to rise in an inflationary economy. Such increases make it hard for most willing buyers to move out and buy their own homes, increasing the demand for multifamily residents. Interest rates also increase due to inflation, further straining most people’s capacity to acquire new homes. The reduced purchasing capacity for most potential home buyers pushes them to depend on rental homes fully, which favors landlords.
3) Increasing rental charges in the wake of inflation
Inflation is characterized by hiking commodity prices, including an increase in rent for commercial multifamily investments. As the commercial multifamily investments rental rates increase, the operational and maintenance costs remain considerably constant.
The increase in rental rates contributes to a positive net operating income, which appreciates the property value. Your commercial real estate investment will not be affected by inflation as long as the inflation rates do not exceed the property values. An increase in rental rates is one of the most notable apartments investing during inflation benefits.
4) Guaranteed cashflow
Another one of the most attractive apartments investing during inflation benefits is the guaranteed cash flow. Whether the economy grows or shrinks, people need a place to stay. They may be unable to purchase their own homes, so they have to rent a one. This necessity makes investing in commercial real estate worthwhile, as rent has to be paid.
Commercial multifamily tips for when you invest during inflation
Venturing in investment property multi family is not always a straight forward endeavor. There are a number of ways you can use to maximize your returns, and minimize drawbacks when running the property. Here are some commercial multifamily investments tips to guide you towards your investment’s goals.
Increase the tenants’ share of operating costs
As inflation continues to assert its effects on the economy, the operating expenses increase. Such expenses include:
Insurance
Taxes
Utilities
Building maintenance costs
Tenants share these expenses in their rental payments in pro-rata arrangements depending on how much square footage one occupies. As operation costs rise, landlords also increase the tenants’ share of the operational expenses to stay above the inflation curve.
You should ensure the tenants know these possible increase in rates by clearly detailing them with an escalation clause in the lease agreement.
Don’t forget the lease rent escalation clause
A rent escalation clause is a great way to protect your investment against inflation, as it helps cover the increasing maintenance costs. It is, therefore, crucial to for you profit from your lease agreement. You can adopt either a fixed percentage or a consumer price index escalation method.
The rent increase is tied directly to the inflation rate for the consumer price index escalation method, making it the most viable escalation technique for multifamily property investors.
Invest during low interest rate periods (alt: invest during inflation but ideally before interest rates rise)
Commercial multifamily real estate investment can safeguard your money by taking advantage of low-interest rates for fixed mortgage rates. On selling or renting the property, the appreciating consumer cost will be on the shoulders of the buyer or tenant. As the landlord, you’ll reap the benefits of the higher rates and hedge against inflation. The business in real estate investment, therefore requires some bold purchase decisions when the rates are favorable and likely to rise to reap the returns.
In addition, when you purchase investment property multi family real estate, the property’s value is constantly on the rise and is bound to fetch higher market prices with time.
Calculate your actual return before venturing into a property
When venturing into commercial multifamily real estate investment, it is crucial to determine the gross profit you’ll reap from the investment after deducting maintenance and inflation costs. These calculations will help determine whether investing in potential high-risk inflation areas is worth it.
Involving a commercial multifamily investment companies could help develop a risk-adjusted estimate. Professional agents can identify low-risk regions since they have a better view and understanding of the market. They can therefore offer their expertise in determining actual returns based on the inflation rates and possibilities of an area.
Work with multifamily investment companies
As mentioned earlier, to succeed in your commercial multifamily real estate investment, you need to work with a competitive team of professionals. They’ll guide you on the do’s and don’ts of the industry. Working with a multifamily investment companies helps you manage the operational duties of the property and takes the load off your shoulder in case there are legal problems to solve.
Also, these commercial real estate investment companies will help you balance the books and secure reliable renters, while still maintain your property at top-tier conditions. Handling all these duties on your own can be overwhelming and ineffective especially if you’re just getting started, thus getting professional help is recommended.
Commercial real estate investment companies also play a crucial role in profit maximization as they are adept in maintaining cost effectiveness in your property. They deploy operational analysis techniques to streamline maintenance operations, to eliminate any avoidable costs.
Multifamily commercial real estate is driven by need. Whether economies shrink or grow, people need houses, and most people cannot afford a multiple-family home.
However, while it’s a still a good idea to invest during inflation it’s important to remember that multifamily commercial real estate investments do not give instant insulation against inflation. To see the actual picture of how it protects investors from the blips of inflation, take a long-term analysis of about 5 to 7 years of investment. You’ll realize that it paces incredibly well under inflation through rents and other fees.