It hasn’t taken long for the COVID-19 pandemic to impact landlords, according to the latest research from the National Multifamily Housing Council. The housing council’s latest survey of 241 chief executive officers and other senior executives of apartment-related firms, found that the multifamily market has already taken a significant hit as the country grapples with stay-at-home orders and a rising death toll from COVID-19. The council conducted its survey from April 13 to 20. A total of 90 percent of respondents reported lower multifamily sales volume than they did three months earlier. Only 5 percent of respondents said that sales volume was unchanged, while 1 percent said sales volume had increased. This isn’t surprising. As Mark Obrinsky, chief economist with the National Multifamily Housing Council, said, there really was no other way for the market to trend once the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “Residents across the country are currently under directives to stay at home and practice social distancing to contain the spread of COVID-19,” Obrinsky said. “As a result, much of the nation’s economic activity has been put on hold.” In more gloomy news, 75 percent of respondents reported that equity financing was less available than it was three months ago. No respondents said that this financing was easier to get. A total of 15 percent of respondents said that conditions were unchanged in the equity market. Click to read more at www.rejournals.com.