Cover detail, “Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2018.”

The aging population, the variety of seniors housing property types that exist to address older adults’ varying needs and the strong return on investment make seniors housing one of the “expected best bets” for investors this year, according to a new report.

“Housing for seniors topped the list of all residential segments in this year’s survey in terms of development and investment prospects for 2018,” wrote the authors of “Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2018,” sponsored by PwC and the Urban Land Institute. The researchers  interviewed or surveyed 2,400 investors, fund managers, developers, property company representatives, lenders, brokers, advisers and consultants for the effort, which provides an outlook on real estate development and investments, trends and issues affecting the U.S. and Canadian real estate markets.

“We’re delighted to see seniors housing recognized and validated by PwC in their annual survey and report,” National Center for Seniors Housing & Care Chief Economist Beth Burnham Mace said. The report includes NIC data.

A realization of the social and psychological benefits that seniors housing can offer residents also is contributing to investor interest in the sector, Mace added. Report authors additionally cited greater liquidity, increased market transparency and emerging post-acute care coordination opportunities as reasons for increased momentum.

More than $14 billion in seniors housing transactions had occurred through the 12 months ending with the second quarter of 2017, the authors said. Unit supply and labor shortages remain major concerns, however, they added.

Read the entire report here.