Analysis

Apartment occupancy and rents will return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year, leading into 2022.

In 2020, senior housing occupancy fell nearly 7% to 80.7% due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

While all property values were down last year by 8%, this was not the drastic ending that many feared, according to Peter Rothemund, managing director at Green Street.

Homeownership has become more affordable in nearly two-thirds of all US housing markets, while renting remains a better deal in populated urban areas.

The cities that posted the most significant losses could have the most robust recoveries.

While some workers are moving to less-expensive locales amid the work-from-home environment, others are moving for jobs.

In all, 630 companies declared bankruptcy during the year.

Corporate departments will need to consider ways to give a more distributed workforce the flexibility to choose when and where to work.