"Does that continue or do other trends boost them?" asks Goldfarb. "When you look at absolute growth rates, it will look very good relative to other sectors, and that will bring investors back to apartments."
Goldfarb does not believe that the burgeoning single family rental market is taking share away from the multi-family sector, but others say it could play a role, especially for lower income families looking for more space. Investors in some of the hardest hit housing markets have been buying up as many distressed properties as they can find, citing new demand.
"I see unprecedented demand, more than I've ever seen in 15 years," says James McClelland, CEO of Chicago-based MACK Companies, a rental property investment group. "Our waiting list is already up to 4 months. if you pass our criteria to become one of our renters you get the honor of sitting on a four month waiting list until the next home is available to you."
The housing market may be recovering, but it is far from a robust recovery, and the lessons learned in the latest crash will likely keep rental demand high. Given where other commercial sectors are with vacancy rates, apartments are still the healthiest; it remains to be seen what all the new supply will do to the fundamentals over the long term. Analysts say 2014 is the year to watch.
Sector Watch: US-Based REITS
—Host Hotels & Resorts
—Simon Property Group
—Equity Residential
—Apartment Investment & Management Co
—Vornado Realty Trust
—Boston Properties
—FelCor Lodging Trust
—AvalonBay Communities
—American Capital Agency Corp
—UDR, Inc
—Essex Property Trust, Inc.
—Camden Property Trust
Questions? Comments? RealtyCheck@cnbc.comAnd follow me on Twitter @Diana_Olick