“Whether you decide to flip properties or rent them, between the depleted stock and the number of institutions exiting the market, the current unfortunate situation does present an opportunity for real estate investors,” Christopher Long, CEO of Radius Realty, wrote on Forbes.com.

Although housing rental defaults will cause short-term pain, a low supply of newly built rental homes could help single-family rentals bounce back sooner than other residential real estate asset classes, according to a report by John Burns Real Estate Consulting.