Housing is getting more expensive. Travel habits are changing. And quietly, in the middle of those two forces, one corner of commercial real estate keeps gaining momentum: RV parks and mobile home parks. For owners and investors who understand this shift, the opportunity is less about chasing a trend and more about locking in durable, cash-flowing real estate backed by long-term demand.
Two Structural Forces Driving the Surge
1. Housing affordability is under real pressure.
Government agencies and housing researchers project that millions of additional affordable housing units will be needed in the coming years. Traditional development continues to face rising construction costs, permitting gridlock, and community resistance.
Mobile home parks—especially well-maintained, amenitized, land-lease communities—are increasingly filling the gap. They offer a more stable price point than conventional single-family homes while providing a real neighborhood feel and long-term residency.
2. Travel and lifestyle habits have transformed.
Millions of North Americans now camp or RV every year, and a large share travel in RVs with frequency and intensity never seen before. Many RV travelers are remote workers or downsizers shifting to flexible lifestyles that blend travel with long stays.
At the same time, modern RVs have evolved into tiny homes on wheels—full amenities, strong connectivity, and extended-living layouts. Yet the supply of professionally operated, well-amenitized RV parks is nowhere near keeping up.
That gap between demand and quality supply is one of the defining opportunities of the decade.
The Institutional Market Already Sees the Value
Publicly traded REITs have led the charge:
- Equity LifeStyle Properties (ELS) owns hundreds of RV parks and mobile home communities across North America—proving the scalability and stability of both asset types.
- Sun Communities (SUI) holds a portfolio of manufactured housing, RV resorts, and marinas totaling well over 170,000 developed sites.
- UMH Properties and Flagship Communities REIT focus on mobile home communities as an affordable, stable housing solution.
Their strategy is simple: combine land-lease income and long-term tenancy with lifestyle and amenity upgrades. That model has been rewarded with institutional valuations and strong long-term performance.
But far from the REIT universe, the vast majority of RV parks and mobile home parks are:
- Family-operated
- Under-managed
- Lightly marketed
- Bought and sold privately
- Or never brought to market at all
This is where sophisticated private investors still have a significant edge.
Why RV Parks & Mobile Home Parks Are So Attractive
1. Defensive, needs-based demand
Mobile home parks remain one of the most important affordable housing solutions in North America. RV parks cater to a mix of nightly travelers, weekly guests, seasonal visitors, and long-term residents—all of which diversify income.
2. Lifestyle and experiential upside
Amenities such as pools, dog parks, clubhouses, marinas, storage, and upgraded pads differentiate properties and drive stronger revenue.
3. Operational value-add
Many parks still lack:
- Dynamic pricing
- Professional management
- Digital marketing
- Accurate underwriting
- Systemized operations
Investors who bring those capabilities unlock meaningful NOI growth.
4. Limited new supply
Both asset classes face zoning restrictions and regulatory pressure, which stabilizes existing inventory and strengthens long-term pricing power.
The Market Is Still Inefficient
Despite strong fundamentals, RV parks and mobile home parks remain highly fragmented. Institutional buyers focus on large, polished assets, leaving thousands of properties owned by families who may not have fully maximized revenue or prepared for an optimized sale.
This disconnect between institutional demand and legacy ownership creates an unusually fertile market for strategic buyers and for well-advised owners considering an exit.
How North Star Approaches This Space
North Star Brokerage & Advisory is built exclusively around outdoor hospitality: RV parks, mobile home parks, campgrounds, marinas, and RV/boat storage.
A few differentiators:
Polaris — our proprietary research and deal-tracking platform
Polaris monitors virtually every RV park and mobile home park in our markets. We analyze operations, ownership, sale history, pricing patterns, and buyer preferences to identify off-market opportunities and support more accurate underwriting.
Institutional-style advisory
We advise clients on:
- Rate strategy
- Amenity upgrades
- Long-term capital plans
- Highest and best use
- Mixing RV + mobile home sites
- 1031 exchange options
- A curated buyer network
Because we do nothing but outdoor hospitality, our buyer pool is deep, vetted, and highly active. When a seller engages us, we’re not guessing who the buyer will be—we already know who’s fit.
For Owners: Why This Matters
If you own an RV park or a mobile home park, you sit at the center of a generational shift in how Americans live, travel, and seek affordability.
Important questions:
- Are your rents or nightly rates aligned with where the market is going?
- Is your park priced and presented the way institutional buyers prefer?
- Have you evaluated whether you should hold, expand, reposition, or sell?
A confidential evaluation can clarify the options.
For Buyers: Where to Focus
The most successful investors in this niche focus on:
- Markets with intense housing pressure
- Strong seasonal or year-round RV demand
- Infrastructure that supports expansion
- Value-add through management modernization
- Assets that can evolve: RV → long-stay → mobile home pad conversion (when zoning allows)
his is not a passive “coupon clipper” business. Done right, it is an operationally intensive asset class with excellent long-term tailwinds.
Thinking About Your Next Move?
Whether you’re:
- An owner evaluating the value of your park
- An investor expanding into RV or mobile home communities
- A seller planning a 1031 exchange into a more passive asset
North Star Brokerage & Advisory provides deal-level advisory backed by Polaris, the most complete OH database in our markets.
If you’d like a confidential conversation or a data-driven evaluation of your property, we’re here whenever you’re ready.
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