🎙️ Introduction
On this episode of the Creating Wealth Real Estate Podcast, Jason Hartman welcomes back Anna Myers, Vice President of Grocapitus Investments and educator at MultifamilyU. With her tech and underwriting background, Anna dives deep into what it really means to practice data-driven real estate investing. From identifying metros with strong job and population growth to analyzing neighborhood-level risks, she lays out a clear framework for investors who want to build sustainable, long-term portfolios.
Jason and Anna also explore the broader demographic and economic megatrends shaping U.S. real estate, including the impact of Millennials burdened by student debt, Baby Boomers opting to rent, and the growing popularity of co-living. Whether you’re a first-time multifamily investor or an experienced landlord, this conversation offers a detailed blueprint for market selection, risk management, and future-proofing your real estate strategy.
📌 Key Takeaways
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✅ Defining Data-Driven Investing – Anna emphasizes making decisions from verified market and demographic data rather than gut instinct.
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✅ Jobs First, Always – Markets must demonstrate above-average job growth and diverse industries to weather economic cycles.
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✅ Population & Migration Trends – Invest where people are moving to, not away from, focusing on long-term 20-year growth patterns.
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✅ Neighborhood-Level Metrics – Income levels, unemployment, poverty rates, and price-to-rent ratios all determine tenant quality and rental durability.
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✅ Regulatory Environment – Landlord-friendly states (like Florida, Arizona) dramatically reduce risk versus restrictive states (like California, New York).
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✅ Demographic Super-Cycle – Millennials and Baby Boomers are fueling rental demand, with stigma around renting largely gone.
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✅ Future of Housing – Expect sustained renter growth, more mobile lifestyles, and expanding co-living models in the next decade.
⏱️ Chapters
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00:29 – Gwen’s investing journey & episode kickoff
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01:20 – What “Data-Driven Real Estate Investing” really means
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06:35 – Job growth vs. housing starts: matching supply and demand
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10:03 – Critical neighborhood-level data points
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15:48 – Analyzing 80 markets per quarter
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19:40 – Grocapitus’ portfolio focus (Class B & C, value-add)
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21:49 – Millennials, Baby Boomers, and the end of the renting stigma
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27:15 – Landlord-friendly vs. tenant-friendly states
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34:50 – Overvalued markets: Austin, Denver, coastal metros
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42:12 – Demographics and the future of U.S. rental housing
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51:05 – How to connect with Anna Myers
