Recent Posts by Xander Snyder

Xander Snyder is the senior commercial real estate economist for First American Financial Corporation, the premier provider of title, settlement and risk solutions for real estate transactions and the leader in the digital transformation of its industry. In his role, he provides analysis, commentary and forecasts on commercial real estate trends. Snyder's research focuses on economic trends impacting commercial real estate, such as demographics, fundraising, investment, and commercial lending. He monitors, analyzes and reports on economic data and surveys related to commercial real estate, and develops models and forecasts to better understand the forces that influence commercial real estate markets. Before joining First American, Snyder developed data-driven models to guide real estate investment strategies, co-founded a proptech startup, and worked as a global risk analyst analyzing geopolitical risk around the world and consulting international companies on supply chain risk. Snyder graduated from Cornell University with a double degree in economics and classical music composition, earning the title of Summa Cum Laude. He is currently completing a master's degree in data science from UC Berkeley. Snyder, a native Angeleno, lives and works in Los Angeles.
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CRE X-Factor: Analyzing the Commercial Real Estate Market Slowdown

By Xander Snyder on February 15, 2023

Several indicators now point firmly to a broad cooling in commercial real estate (CRE) markets. The extent of the cooling, however, varies meaningfully by asset class and geography.

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Commercial Real Estate CRE X-Factor

Why the Dip in Multifamily Transactions may be Short-Lived

By Xander Snyder on February 13, 2023

The rapid change in the macro-economic environment has resulted in some dire forecasts for multifamily. Higher interest rates, a slowdown in household formation rates from the heady pandemic-era pace, decelerating rent growth,and increasing vacancy rates have already sapped trading activity. In terms of multifamily transaction volume, the fourth ...

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Commercial Real Estate Multifamily Market

What Do Fewer Multifamily Transactions and Greater Pricing Uncertainty Mean for Cap Rates?

By Xander Snyder on January 27, 2023

Slowing demand to lease apartments is now reducing demand to own multifamily properties. Declining rent growth, as well as higher interest rates, has limited the prices that prospective buyers can afford to pay for a property, opening a gap in price expectations between buyers and sellers. As a result, multifamily transaction volumes in the fourth ...

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Commercial Real Estate Interest Rates Potential Cap Rate Model

CRE X-Factor: Watch CMBS Maturities for Early Indications of Risk

By Xander Snyder on January 18, 2023

Since Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) are actively traded, their prices fluctuate more than other types of commercial debt as interest rates move. Given this interest rate sensitivity, CMBS provide insight into what trends may evolve in private lending markets, which are larger but less transparent, so they are less likely to quickly ...

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Commercial Real Estate Interest Rates

‘Til Debt Do Us Part: What Maturing CMBS Debt Signals About the Scale of Refinancing Risk in 2023 and Beyond

By Xander Snyder on January 13, 2023

As the Federal Reserve further tightens monetary policy by raising interest rates, existing borrowers of fixed-rate debt will be impacted when that debt matures. At that point, borrowers will likely need to refinance at higher interest rates, raising the question of whether or not they can afford costlier debt service. Understanding the quantity ...

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Commercial Real Estate Interest Rates

CRE X-Factor: Where is Commercial Real Estate Deal Activity Heading in 2023?

By Xander Snyder on December 16, 2022

Several commercial real estate (CRE) fundamentals continued to soften in October. It was the second consecutive month where prices for multifamily, retail, and central business district (CBD) office sectors all declined on a month-over-month basis, though prices remain higher for all asset classes compared to October 2021.

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Commercial Real Estate Interest Rates CRE X-Factor

Renters May Find Deals on Luxury Apartments in 2023

By Xander Snyder on December 8, 2022

During the pandemic, household formation soared and people sought more ideal remote working environments, which drove demand for housing, both owned and rented. In the apartment rental market, vacancy rates for all types of apartments declined in the second half of 2020 and through most of 2021, reflecting heightened demand.

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Commercial Real Estate Renter Affordability

How Work-From-Home is Driving Greater Shadow Office Space

By Xander Snyder on November 21, 2022

During the Great Recession, the phrase “shadow inventory” referred to the number of foreclosed housing units that had not yet hit the market but could be listed soon. A similar concept can be applied to today’s office vacancy rates. In a number of major cities, office buildings remain half empty and, given the remaining prevalence of hybrid and ...

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Commercial Real Estate

Will Slower Apartment Leasing Activity Lead to Rising Multifamily Cap Rates?

By Xander Snyder on October 19, 2022

Surging mortgage rates have suppressed demand for home purchases by reducing affordability, which has prevented many renters from transitioning to homeownership. As a result, rental demand has remained strong and real estate investor interest in multifamily properties has remained high. Multifamily transaction volume broke records in 2021, and ...

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Commercial Real Estate Interest Rates Potential Cap Rate Model

Are Investors Fueling the Rapid Decline in Housing Affordability?

By Xander Snyder on August 26, 2022

According to data from First American Data & Analytics, investor purchases of residential homes as rental properties as a share of all residential home sales[1], have increased sharply in the last year, rising from 10.5 percent in May 2021 to nearly 18 percent in May 2022. Increasing investor participation in the residential housing market has ...

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Commercial Real Estate Housing