The Data-Driven Investor: Why a 3-Bedroom Home Beats a 1-Bedroom Apartment in 2026

As CEO of Sell2Rent, I talk to real estate investors every single day. The most successful ones all share one trait: they replace assumptions with data.

We all assume the rental market is a monolith—that rents just "go up." But what if that assumption is costing you money?

I recently sat down with Jonas Bordo, CEO of the rental data powerhouse Dwellsy, on my podcast. He shared a data point that should stop every rental real estate investor in their tracks:

Over the last five years, national rents for 1-bedroom apartments have been almost completely flat.

In that same period, rents for 3-bedroom single-family homes are up by nearly 30%.

Let that sink in.

While many investors were chasing high-density, "scalable" apartment units, the real rental growth was in the asset class we’ve always believed in: Single-Family Rentals (SFRs).

The "Why" Behind the Data

This isn't an anomaly; it's the new normal. The "Great Bifurcation" in the rental real estate market is driven by fundamental shifts in how we live:

1. The Work-From-Home (WFH) Revolution: The demand for a home office, a backyard, and personal space isn't just a "perk" anymore—it's a requirement. A 1-bedroom apartment doesn't cut it.

2. Demographic Tsunami: Millennials, the largest generation, are now in their peak family-formation years. They are renting for longer and demanding homes with 2, 3, or 4 bedrooms for their growing families.

3. The "Un-Priced" Homeowner: With high interest rates, many potential first-time buyers are "stuck" in the rental market. They don't want an apartment; they want a home. They are renting the American dream, and that dream is a single-family house.

For a rental real estate investor, this data is a bright, flashing sign pointing exactly where your capital should be flowing.

How to Stop Guessing and Start Investing (The Smart Way)

Knowing this data is one thing. Acting on it is the hard part.

Where do you find these high-demand 3-bedroom homes? How do you buy them in top markets if you live out of state? How do you manage them without the headaches?

This is the exact problem we built Sell2Rent to solve.

We don't just find any property. We use data to pinpoint the right properties, in the right markets, that tenants actually want. We’ve made it incredibly simple for new and veteran investors to build a high-performing portfolio of single-family rentals.

You don't need to be a data scientist or a full-time landlord. You just need the right partner. See how our simple investment process works here.

While other investors are stuck with flat-lining apartment rents, our investors are capitalizing on the 30% growth sector.

Your Next Move

The "old way" of investing in rental real estate—guessing, relying on gut feelings, and buying whatever is local—is over.

The new era is defined by two things:

1. Access to precise data (like the kind our friends at Dwellsy provide).

2. A streamlined platform to act on that data (which is what we do at Sell2Rent).

The best time to build your rental portfolio was yesterday. The next best time is today, armed with the right data.

Ready to build your portfolio of high-growth rental properties? Register as an investor with Sell2Rent and let's build your wealth, one smart investment at a time.