Jay Parsons

Jay Parsons is a rental‑housing economist, consultant, real estate influencer and public speaker who specializes in multifamily and single‑family rental markets. He spent 15 years at RealPage, eventually becoming chief economist of the rental‑housing data, analytics, and software company. He’s now out on his own and has advisory positions at Madera Residential, a multifamily owner/operator, and Irving-based developer JPI. He is also a partner at WayMaker, a multifamily investment group now integrated under Madera Residential.

As an economist and advisor: Parsons researches, analyzes, and forecasts trends in rental housing markets (both multifamily and single‑family rentals), often advising institutional investors, REITs, owner‑operators, lenders, regulators, developers, and government agencies. 

As a public thought‑leader: His analysis and commentary are widely cited in major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The Financial Times, The New York Times, and on news channels such as CNBC and Bloomberg TV. 

He publishes a weekly podcast, The Rent Roll with Jay Parsons, where he covers housing‑market data, trends, and investment insights — especially related to apartments, build-to-rent, single‑family rentals, and market dynamics overall. He also produces a newsletter and offers consulting and speaking engagements, helping clients and stakeholders interpret housing‑market data and make informed strategic decisions.