Franklin (IL) Investor Pulse Report (2026-Q1)

In Franklin County, investors hold 2,566 Single-Family Residential (SFR) properties, accounting for 18.9% of the total 13,606 SFRs in the market. This demonstrates a significant, yet not dominant, investor presence.

The ownership structure is overwhelmingly tilted towards private individuals. Individual landlords own 2,366 properties, or 92.2% of the investor-owned portfolio, while companies own just 230 properties (9.0%). This pattern extends to the landlords themselves, with 2,258 individual investors compared to only 162 companies.

A striking feature of this market is the method of financing. An overwhelming 2,565 of the 2,566 investor-owned properties were acquired with cash, with only a single property listed as financed. This indicates a market of highly liquid investors who do not rely on leverage.

The portfolio is heavily focused on generating rental income, with 2,424 properties classified as rented. This represents 94.5% of all investor-owned SFRs, confirming that the primary strategy for the typical real estate investor in this area is buy-and-hold.

The average portfolio size is very small, with 2,420 distinct landlords owning 2,566 properties, for an average of just 1.06 properties each. This highlights a market built on small, independent operators rather than large-scale portfolio holders.

Analysis of acquisition pricing for Franklin County is not possible due to a complete absence of transaction data for the most recent periods, including Q4 2025.

Consequently, no comparison can be made between the prices paid by landlords and those paid by traditional homeowners. It is impossible to determine if investors are acquiring properties at a discount or a premium relative to the general market.

Historical pricing trends, such as appreciation from the 2020-2023 period to the present, cannot be calculated. The data does not provide insight into how property values have evolved for investors in this specific geography.

Similarly, it is not possible to analyze whether individual investors pay different prices compared to company investors. Without transaction records, a key dimension of investor strategy remains unknown.

The lack of pricing data is a significant finding in itself, suggesting either a period of extremely low market activity or potential gaps in data reporting for this county.

In Q4 2025, the investor market in Franklin County came to a complete standstill, with landlords purchasing zero of the zero total SFRs sold. This indicates a total lack of sales activity across the entire market for the period.

The inactivity was universal across all investor sizes. Mom-and-pop landlords (1-10 properties), who form the backbone of the local market, made no new acquisitions during the quarter.

Likewise, institutional investors (1,000+ properties) also recorded zero purchases, maintaining their minimal presence without expansion.

A direct consequence of this market freeze is that no new landlords entered the market. The count of single-property investors, a key indicator of new market participants, saw no growth in Q4 2025.

This halt in purchasing activity suggests a potential market equilibrium, a lack of desirable inventory, or external economic factors that have paused investment decisions for all buyer types in Franklin County.

The investor landscape in Franklin County is defined by the dominance of small-scale landlords. Mom-and-pop investors, who own between 1 and 10 properties, control a combined 92.1% of all investor-owned SFRs.

First-time or single-property landlords (Tier 01) are the single largest group, owning 1,508 properties. This tier alone accounts for 54.9% of the entire investor-owned housing stock, highlighting the market's reliance on small, independent operators.

In stark contrast, institutional-scale investors with over 1,000 properties have a negligible presence. This tier controls just 5 properties, representing only 0.2% of the investor market, challenging any narrative of a corporate takeover in this county.

Ownership concentration falls off sharply as portfolio size increases. Mid-size landlords (11-1,000 properties) collectively own just 7.8% of the inventory, reinforcing the fragmented, small-investor nature of the market.

Due to the lack of recent sales, no pricing analysis by tier is possible. It cannot be determined if larger investors achieve economies of scale through lower acquisition prices compared to their smaller counterparts.

In Franklin County's investor market, individuals maintain majority ownership across every single portfolio tier, a pattern that defies typical market structures where companies dominate larger portfolios.

There is no crossover point where companies become the majority owners. Even among the largest landlords in the 101-1,000 property tier, individuals own 7 of the 8 properties (87.5%), demonstrating that scaling is achieved by private investors, not corporations.

In the smallest tier of single-property owners, individuals account for 1,411 of the properties, a 92.6% share, setting the foundation for this ownership trend.

Company ownership is most concentrated in the 51-100 property tier, yet even there, they only own 1 of 4 properties (25.0%). This indicates that forming a corporate entity is not a common strategy for growth in this market.

This enduring dominance by individuals across all portfolio sizes suggests that the capital flowing into Franklin County's rental market is primarily private and local, rather than corporate or institutional.

Geographic analysis reveals a high concentration of investor ownership within a few key areas of Franklin County. The zip codes 62896 (West Frankfort) and 62812 (Benton) are the epicenters, containing 748 and 691 investor-owned properties, respectively.

Together, these two zip codes account for 1,439 properties, representing a remarkable 56.1% of the entire investor-owned SFR portfolio in the county. This points to highly localized investment strategies.

While concentration by raw count is high in specific areas, the highest penetration rates are found elsewhere. Zip code 62856 has the highest rate, with investors owning 31.3% of its SFR housing stock, followed by 62825 at 27.9%.

The leaders by rate are different from the leaders by count, indicating that some smaller sub-markets have a much higher density of rental properties relative to their total housing supply. These areas could be considered proven rental markets.

Overall, investors own 18.9% of the SFR properties across the county, but these geographic pockets of concentration and high penetration are the key drivers of the market's structure.

A comprehensive analysis of historical transaction trends for landlords in Franklin County is not feasible due to a lack of available data. Key metrics on buying and selling activity over time cannot be produced.

It is impossible to determine the market's net position. Data does not show whether landlords have historically been net buyers, accumulating properties, or net sellers, divesting their portfolios.

Market liquidity, especially inter-landlord transactions, cannot be assessed. The percentage of properties traded between investors, a key sign of a mature market, is unknown.

Analysis of profitability is also prevented. Without data on both average buy prices and average sell prices over time, the potential margins or returns on investment cannot be estimated.

This data gap means that long-term strategic shifts, such as changes in buying volume or the behavior of institutional investors versus the broader market, cannot be tracked for this county.

The final quarter of 2025 was marked by a complete absence of transactional activity involving investors in Franklin County. Landlords accounted for 0.0% of the market's zero total transactions.

This inactivity was consistent across all investor tiers. Neither the dominant mom-and-pop landlords nor the small contingent of larger investors executed any purchases during this period.

As a result, no purchase price data is available for any tier. It's impossible to compare the acquisition costs between small, mid-size, and institutional investors for Q4 2025.

The data also shows zero instances of landlords purchasing from other landlords. This lack of inter-investor trading signals extremely low market liquidity and a potential 'hold' sentiment among current owners.

This transactional freeze prevents any analysis of current market dynamics, from pricing strategies to inventory flow, reinforcing the picture of a market that was paused during the last quarter of 2025.