I study topics in real estate and urban economics, using tools from empirical industrial organization and applied microeconomics. I will join the University of Toronto Department of Economics as an Assistant Professor in July 2025.

Working Papers

Market Power in Residential Real Estate: Evidence from Chicago Rental Properties

Abstract: This paper investigates the impact of market power in residential real estate. I study this question empirically in the context of the Chicago rental market. To do so, I build a novel dataset that links the universe of market-rate multifamily properties and their owners from 2000 to 2023. Using a staggered event study design, I find that acquisitions of competing properties raise price and reduce occupancy. I then estimate a structural model of rental demand and supply, and use the estimates to calculate welfare under various policy counterfactuals. These results highlight how market power mediates the effectiveness of urban rental policies and shapes housing affordability in the 21st century.

Works in Progress

Imperfect Competition and Quality Degradation in Affordable Housing Markets

Abstract: In affordable housing markets, landlords have limited discretion over how much they can raise prices because they face regulatory constraints. In these markets, I hypothesize that landlords compete on another margin (i.e., quality) in order to maximize profit. 

Race and Redevelopment (with A. Orokoh)

Abstract: Does the racial composition of a neighborhood affect its likelihood of redevelopment? We study this question by constructing a new dataset that identifies which parcels of land were sold by the city to private developers, following the public housing demolitions in Chicago in the late 1990s and early 2000s. 

Place-Based Gentrification (with K. Burr)  

Abstract: How do place-based interventions affect displacement and repositioning in residential real estate? To answer this question, we evaluate the roll-out of the Opportunity Zone (OZ) program in New York City. 

Policy Writing

Tracing the Color Line: An Overview of Black-White Economic Inequality in the United States, with D. Jones, D. Francis, and B. Hardy. Lipman Center for Journalism on Civil and Human Rights, 2023.

Job Postings, Applications, and Wages: Evidence from Homebase, with A. Bartik, M. Bertrand, J. Rothstein, and D. Santos-Cardenas. Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, 2021.