5+ Real Estate Markets That Should Be on Your Radar! (140)

Monthly furnished rentals are exploding—and savvy investors are already cashing in. In this data-packed episode of The Landlord Diaries, we sit down with Jeff Hurst, CEO of Furnished Finder and former president of VRBO, to unpack the biggest tenant trends, market opportunities, and demand signals shaping the midterm rental space in 2025.

🔥 Did you know that traveler demand in Abilene, Texas is up 400% year-over-year? That’s just the beginning. From corporate relocations to healthcare travel, demand for monthly rentals is outpacing supply by 6–7x nationwide.

We break down:
What’s driving demand in small towns like Abilene, Juneau, and Butte
Medium-sized cities (like Milwaukee and Portland, ME) that urgently need more inventory
Big city markets like Chicago, Silicon Valley, and Seattle—where supply STILL isn’t keeping up
How to evaluate YOUR market in 4 steps: compare Furnished Finder demand stats, Airbnb supply, Zillow pricing, and extended stay hotel costs
Why travelers are booking earlier, staying longer, and often moving with pets—and why 60% of tenants on Furnished Finder are women
How to tap into insurance, relocation, and construction tenant types beyond just travel nurses

🏡 Whether you're a first-time landlord or an experienced investor, this episode will help you identify under-the-radar markets, make smart listing decisions, and understand why monthly rentals are the most sustainable and scalable cash flow strategy in today’s market.

👉 Visit https://www.furnishedfinder.com/stats to research your market.
List your property: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/list-...
(Use code LLD10 for $10 off new listings)

🎧 Subscribe now to never miss expert insights on monthly rentals, property management strategies, and hidden investment gems.

⏱️ Episode Chapters / Timestamps:

0:00 Welcome + Abilene, TX sees 400% traveler growth (What’s going on?)
1:10 Why midterm rental demand is growing 6–7x faster than supply
2:20 Booking requests surge 100% YoY: What that means for your cash flow
3:40 Monthly rental tenant types: corporate travel, healthcare, and relocation
5:05 Zillow vs. Padsplit vs. Furnished Finder: long-term housing trends
6:30 New tenant behaviors: earlier bookings, more pets, larger groups
8:45 Monthly Rentals vs. Midterm Rentals: What tenants are actually searching
10:00 4-step method to analyze if your market works for monthly rentals
13:50 What the data tells us: How to spot demand and underserved markets
14:45 Hidden gem markets: Abilene, TX and the data center development boom
17:20 Juneau, AK case study: What demand without inventory looks like
20:25 Medium markets that need more listings NOW (Portland, Milwaukee & more)
24:50 Major cities where demand still exceeds supply (Chicago, Silicon Valley, Boston)
28:30 Investor tip: Learn your market’s story, not just its numbers
30:10 How to use the FurnishedFinder.com/stats page like a pro
31:40 Comparing your Furnished Finder listing to Zillow, Airbnb, and extended stay hotels
33:10 Biggest mistake new landlords make with monthly rentals
34:55 Closing thoughts + how to stay ahead of tenant trends