Clark (IL) Investor Pulse Report (2025-Q4)

Investors hold a significant 14.2% share of the single-family residential market in Clark County, with a total portfolio of 704 properties.

The market is overwhelmingly dominated by individual investors, who own 627 properties (89.1%), compared to just 91 properties (12.9%) held by companies. This 7-to-1 ratio underscores the local, small-scale nature of real estate investment in the area.

A similar pattern is seen among landlord entities, where 693 individual landlords far outnumber the 69 company landlords, a ratio of 10-to-1.

Investors in Clark County favor low-leverage positions, with 76.0% of their properties (535) owned free-and-clear with cash. Only 169 properties, or 24.0% of the portfolio, are financed.

The portfolio's purpose is clear, with 94.5% of investor-owned properties (665) classified as rented, demonstrating a strong focus on providing rental housing to the community.

In Q4 2025, landlords demonstrated a distinct pricing advantage by acquiring properties for an average of $125,455, which is 33.3% less than the $187,973 paid by traditional homeowners.

This price gap translates to a substantial $62,518 average discount per property, showcasing investors' ability to identify and secure undervalued assets.

While the Q4 discount is significant, it represents a tightening from previous quarters. The discount was even more pronounced in Q3 2025 (54.4%) and Q2 2025 (48.3%), indicating a potentially more competitive purchasing environment emerging at year-end.

The average landlord acquisition price of $125,455 in Q4 marks a notable increase from the $73,143 seen in Q3, suggesting either a shift toward higher-quality inventory or general market price appreciation.

The persistent ability of landlords to purchase properties well below the homeowner market rate highlights a strategic advantage, likely stemming from cash offers, targeting distressed properties, or off-market deal sourcing.

Investors accounted for 10.2% of the total market activity in Q4 2025, purchasing 9 of the 88 single-family homes sold in Clark County.

The acquisition market is entirely fueled by smaller investors. 'Mom-and-pop' landlords (1-10 properties) were responsible for 7 of the 9 investor purchases, a 70.0% share of activity.

The market continues to attract new capital, with 5 new single-property landlord entities entering the market and acquiring 3 properties in Q4 alone.

Large-scale institutional investors were completely absent from the acquisitions market, recording zero purchases and reinforcing the county's character as a market for local, individual investors.

Purchasing was distributed across smaller portfolio sizes, with every tier from single-property up to the 51-100 property group seeing at least one acquisition, indicating broad-based but small-scale investment demand.

The investor ownership landscape in Clark County is defined by small, local operators. Mom-and-pop landlords (portfolios of 1-10 properties) control a commanding 95.4% of all investor-held SFRs.

Single-property investors form the bedrock of the rental market, alone accounting for 454 properties, which is 61.0% of the entire investor-owned portfolio.

In stark contrast to national narratives, institutional capital has a minimal presence. Investors in the 1,000+ property tier own just 3 properties, representing only 0.4% of the local investor market.

Mid-size landlords (11-1,000 properties) also hold a small share, collectively owning just 4.2% of the stock, further cementing the market's fragmented and small-scale structure.

This distribution reveals a market heavily reliant on local individuals for its rental housing supply, rather than large, consolidated corporate entities.

Unlike larger metropolitan markets, there is no portfolio size in Clark County where company ownership surpasses that of individuals. Individual investors maintain a strong majority across every measured tier.

Individual ownership remains robust even as portfolio sizes increase. In the 3-5 property tier, individuals own 112 properties (91.8%), and in the 6-10 property tier, they own 62 properties (78.5%).

Company ownership consistently represents a small fraction of the market at every level. Companies own just 9.5% of properties in the crucial single-property tier and 8.2% in the 3-5 property tier.

The 11-20 property tier is composed entirely of individual owners, with companies holding zero properties in this segment.

This consistent dominance by individuals suggests that the local investment market is characterized by personal capital and direct management rather than structured corporate investment strategies.

Investor ownership in Clark County is geographically focused, with most activity occurring in the zip codes of 62441 (Marshall) and 62420 (Casey).

The 62441 zip code contains the largest absolute number of investor-owned homes, with a portfolio of 315 properties, which translates to a 14.3% ownership rate in that area.

The highest density of investor ownership is found in zip code 62420, where landlords own 15.9% of the single-family housing stock, totaling 225 properties.

These two regions lead in both total property count and ownership percentage, indicating they are well-established and primary zones for real estate investment in the county.

The limited data for other zip codes suggests that investor activity is likely negligible outside of these core areas, making them the clear epicenters of the local rental market.

Landlords in Clark County are actively expanding their portfolios, consistently operating as net buyers. Throughout 2025, they purchased 54 properties while only selling 18, resulting in a strong buy-to-sell ratio of 3.0.

This aggressive acquisition posture was also evident in 2024, when landlords bought 35 properties and sold only 10, for an even higher buy-to-sell ratio of 3.5.

The most recent quarter, Q4 2025, continued this pattern with 12 purchases against only 4 sales, resulting in a net gain of 8 properties for the investor community.

The total volume of acquisitions has increased year-over-year, rising from 35 purchases in 2024 to 54 in 2025, signaling growing confidence and capital deployment in the local market.

There is no transaction data available for institutional investors, which aligns with their minimal ownership footprint and lack of purchasing activity in the county.

Investors were a party to 12 of the 117 total SFR transactions in Q4, representing a 10.3% share of all market activity.

A significant price disparity exists among acquiring landlords. New single-property investors paid the top average price at $186,300, while more established small landlords in the 6-10 property tier paid just $33,000 on average.

This pricing pattern suggests new entrants may be competing for turn-key, retail-priced properties, whereas experienced landlords are acquiring lower-priced, value-add opportunities.

Inter-landlord trading is present but not dominant. One transaction in the 3-5 property tier (100%) and one in the single-property tier (20%) were sourced from other landlords.

Confirming their inactivity, institutional investors recorded zero transactions, which reinforces that market liquidity and activity are driven exclusively by smaller, local players.