Shovels to Dirt™
The One-Stop Resource for Purpose-Built Rental Housing
We bring together developers, builders, operators, capital partners, data providers, policymakers, architects, and industry voices to share the insights needed to move projects forward — from capital and land strategy to policy, approvals, construction, operations, lease-up, and resident experience.
Built for the Full Rental Housing Ecosystem
The rental housing industry is evolving rapidly, yet valuable insights remain fragmented across markets, organizations and disciplines.
Shovels to Dirt™ Serves as a centralized resource hub where developers, builders, operators, capital providers, policymakers, researchers and industry leaders can access trusted information, share expertise and contribute to the broader housing conversation.
Our mission is simple, improve education, increase transparency and help the industry make smarter decisions
What We Cover
Market Intelligence
Real-time signals, market trends, demand drivers, migration patterns, pricing pressure, absorption, concessions, rent growth, and competitive supply.
Capital & Investment
Debt and equity trends, capital availability, underwriting pressure, investor sentiment, development feasibility, and how capital decisions affect housing delivery.
Development & Construction
Land strategy, entitlement challenges, zoning, municipal approvals, construction costs, unit mix, ROI, timelines, and development optimization.
Policy & Advocacy
State, federal, and local policy updates impacting SFR, BTR, zoning, housing supply, affordability, and rental housing education.
Operations & Lease-Up
Resident experience, leasing performance, retention, technology, property management, operational lessons, and community-level execution.
Research, Reports & White Papers
Curated studies, data visualizations, market reports, industry research, and partner insights from leading voices across the rental housing sector.
Industry Contributors
Shovels to Dirt™ is a contributor-driven ecosystem where industry leaders share research, insights, market intelligence, and real-world experience. Our collaborators provide data, analysis and perspective across the full rental housing lifecycle.
Andy Zhu
Brad Hunter
Subscribe and Don’t Miss Content Updates
Stay connected to the latest insights in SFR, BTR, and purpose-built rental housing — including market intelligence, policy updates, research, development trends, resident stories, white papers, and contributor commentary.
The Resource Hub for Purpose-Built Rental Housing
Better outcomes happen when we work together
A curated, one-stop destination for the latest insights on SFR, BTR, and purpose-built rental development — from research and land strategy to approvals, construction, operations, and lease-up.
- Shovels to Dirt brings together the
- Data
- Expert perspectives
- Policy context, and real-world lessons needed to help housing leaders make smarter decisions and move projects forward.
and real-world lessons needed to help housing leaders make smarter decisions and move projects forward.
Subscribe for curated insights on SFR, BTR, and purpose-built rental housing — delivered as new content is released.
