TYLER, Texas — It's no secret, rental availability in East Texas has come far and few in between.
Doc Deason, real estate agent, says the market is something he's "never seen before." Deason has been in the real estate industry since 2007. He believes remote work from the pandemic plays a key factor in the influx of new residents in Texas.
"There's a lot of movement going on right now. I've sold property to folks in California, Colorado, New York, Illinois, Oregon. They've realized that they can work remotely, in a job that prior to COVID had them stuck in an area that they may or may not have wanted to live in," Deason said.
According to Deason, Tyler being a college town also plays a role in the low number of available rental units and properties:
"The University of Texas at Tyler has done a lot of expanding over the last number of years, those are going to primarily be rental folks who aren't necessarily going to buy a house for college," Deason said.
With COVID-19 cases surging in the state of Texas, many hospital staff members who aren't looking for permanent housing are traveling to East Texas to help out.
"The medical industry around here is very well known and very well respected. And that also will drive people in, you know, doctors, nurses, visiting nurses. We've had a lot of folks who have been in here working due to COVID, who were not necessarily planning to operate out of here in a long-term basis," Deason said.
Deason believes that although finding rental properties is difficult for some, the supply and demand market of Texas is creating a great time for those looking to sell as people moving from out-of-state are willing to pay more.