Hot Market Predictions for 2022

As the world starts to adjust to life post shut-down and adjust to the “new normal”, we are seeing lasting changes across numerous industries. The Real Estate market saw an enormous spike in activity - however the impact is still apparent. Large cities, which previously dominated the list of the country’s top real estate markets, are losing their appeal as people discover they can work remotely from any location, save money, and escape dense crowds and rush hours commutes. And that has unleashed a surge in demand for smaller metro areas.

In fact, the two top cities in PwC’s 2022 Emerging Trends in Real Estate report have populations of less than 2.5 million. Formerly consistent contenders, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., meanwhile all failed to make the top 10.

“The pandemic stopped a lot of people in their tracks, but also set many in motion,” the report says. “People freed to work remotely realized that they could beam into their meetings from 1,000 miles away just as easily as ten. No wonder, then, that almost all of this year’s survey of top-ranked real estate markets are in faster growing southern and western regions and away from the coasts.”

Here are PwC’s top-ranked real estate markets for 2022:

1. Nashville, Tennnessee
2. Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina
3. Phoenix, Arizona
4. Austin, Texas
5. Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida
6. Charlotte, North Carolina
7. Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
8. Atlanta, Georgia
9. Seattle, Washington
10. Boston, Massachusetts

For people looking to build new homes, the report recommends these cities:

1. Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina
2. Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida
3. Phoenix, Arizona
4. Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
5. Austin, Texas
6. Denver, Colorado
7. Charlotte, North Carolina
8. San Antonio, Texas
9. Atlanta, Georgia
10. Washington, D.C.–Northern Virginia area