See highlights from the day's events below the article.

LOS ANGELES—What a difference a year makes. At last year’s RealShare Apartments conference, the general mood was decidedly cautious. Today, the wariness is still though, but now it’s just a faint undercurrent. The more obvious sentiment among the 1,200-plus attendees at RealShare Apartments 2010, held today at the Westin Bonaventure in Downtown Los Angeles, is one of optimism.

That positive attitude was present in the keynote speech delivered by Doug Culkin, president of the National Apartment Association. He noted that the market has improved considerably since last year, and expects to see steady progress in terms of the economy, job growth and financing—that is, barring a double-dip recession. He said that while he expects GDP growth of about 3% this year, consumer spending will continue to be a drag on the overall economy. The lack of confidence in the economy, he added, is causing a dearth of confidence among businesses.