There are some big factors out there changing the housing market. There are common cyclical trends that change over time. Then there are macro shifts that can have a much bigger and longer impact on the real estate landscape and investors. What are they? Why do they matter?

1. We’re Now Making More Land

They used to say that real estate investing was so great because they aren’t making any more land. That’s no longer true. Aside from the fact that we still have millions of square acres that haven’t been built on and developed, and that we now replace lost coastlines with new sand, we are developing new land to build on and invest in. Developing real estate in space, on the moon or even Mars appears to be becoming more likely every year. That may not happen in the next 10 years, but it seems highly possible our grandchildren will be able to at least vacation off of our planet. Then there are countries who are expanding their land space to facilitate more investment. China is doing it, Dubai has built a world famous reputation and investment business on it, and Monaco is developing a larger manmade coastline with a $2.4B plan to make room for new developments.

2. Population Shifts

Population shifts have a big impact on housing demand. Fleeting demand can sink rental rates, property values and availability of financing. Rising demand does the opposite. New tax rules, rising taxes, high property prices, lack of affordability, increasing natural disaster activity and the world of remote work is all fueling population shifts. Look at the effect it had on Detroit. Look at the surveys showing 50% of some Californian communities plan to move out of the state to places like Boise, Idaho. Pay attention to where people are leaving and where they are flocking to make smart short and long term real estate investments.

3. Tight Real Estate Lending

We’ve now been experiencing one of the longest and tightest periods for credit most have known in their lifetimes. There are certainly exceptions for real estate investors who have benefited from lenders hungry to fund rehabs deals and rentals. At least providing they have a good amount of skin in the game. This may be about to change big time with the recent repealing of provisions of the Dodd Frank Act and moves to ease the Volcker Rule. Yet, investors have to keep in mind how the availability of of financing (and lack of it) and interest rates can impact resale values and resales.

4. Marketing Noise

Marketing noise is at all new highs, and it’s only likely to grow as digital marketing gains new access to our lives. A few years ago it was easy to make a big splash on or offline. Now it is increasingly challenging and more expensive to stand out and get noticed. Real estate investors and business owners really have to pay attention to their marketing and budgets and look to offer real value and embrace their uniqueness to get results.

5. Fake News

A part of the above is fake news. Despite claims of cleaning this up, it’s probably only getting worse. It is very easy to for virtually anyone to manipulate the media today. This has definitely been used by those with interests in real estate at high levels. It’s also important for individual investors and small business owners to not only see how their competition is using the press and social media to influence perception, but how it can be used in a positive way for better results.

6. Going Green

New laws are requiring homes to be built even greener and safer to increase sustainability. This includes what can be built where, incorporating solar as a must, limiting access to water, and building codes.

7. New Rental Rules

Beyond rent controls for prices, Seattle, WA and CA have been setting new precedents for how much control individual landlords have over who they can rent to. Landlords in these areas are losing more decision making power over who they may rent to, who they can turn away and what checks they can do on prospective tenants. It’s great that more people may get a second chance given such horrendously huge rates of innocent people being arrested and landing in jail. It’s great that we are decreasing discrimination. Yet, unless the real estate investment community doesn’t better at regulating itself, expect the powers that be to do more of it on our behalf.