The Invisible Landlord: RealPage and the Algorithmic Suppression of Rent Competition in North Carolina
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This report documents how RealPage--a revenue management software--operates across 8 North Carolina counties(Cabarrus, Craven, Iredell, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Pender, Union, and Wake) and what state lawmakers can do about it. The findings are detailed in full in the sections within the report, but the picture is consistent: RealPage-affiliated landlords control a substantial share of the rental market in every county studied, and North Carolina has no law on the books to stop them. This report is an outcome of the collective work of all participants in Spring 2026 PLAN 823: Algorithms and the Future of Affordable Housing.
DOI: 10.17615/8ej0-tw32
Authors: Aciukewicz, Aidan, Merrill, Jason, Brown, Rhea, Rooney, Devin, Hayward, Lily, Johnson, Thomas, Beadle, Brianna, Oliver, Sha'lise, Cotte Alsina, Alejandro, Valbuena Pena, Manuel, Warner, Paul, Strawn, Nea, Goyer, Megan, Jacobs, Benjamin, Watkins, Jennifer, Roy, Aditya, Thorstenson, Morgan, Watson, Britney, Levine, Olivia, Dille, Jackson, Tapp, Renee, Mayr, Klaus
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Language: English
Subfield: Finance
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7160895642
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