Donn Kim Contributes to Groundbreaking Research Published in Real Estate Economics

Pepperdine Graziadio faculty member Dr. Donn Kim, along with co-authors Dr. Davin Raiha, Dr. Youngme Seo, and Dr. Julia Freybote, contributed groundbreaking research to the field of real estate economics with a study published in Real Estate Economics (REE).

The research, titled "Urban flight: A short‐term phenomenon or long‐term trend?," delves into the urban flight observed during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to determine whether it was a temporary, pandemic-induced occurrence or a long-term trend. 

Focusing on the period from 2017 to 2022 in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, the findings suggest that the urban flight was indeed a temporary phenomenon. The study reveals that higher population density areas experienced lower sale prices in the early phase of COVID (2020), but this population density effect diminished in the most recent phase (2022). 

This research provides valuable insights into the dynamics of urban flight, offering a nuanced understanding of its trajectory and impact on real estate markets. The full paper is available in the latest issues of Real Estate Economics on Wiley Online Library.