| Utility Theory and Rent Optimization:
Utilizing Cluster Analysis to Segment Rental Markets Authors: Charles A. Smith and Mark J. Kroll
Start Page: 61
End Page: 71
Volume: 4
Issue Number: 1
Year: 1989
Publication: Journal of Real Estate Research
Abstract: The research reported
here segments apartment residents and units into homogeneous groups. This segmentation is
accomplished via cluster analysis. The purpose of the research is to identify market
segments with higher marginal utility preferences for selected project or unit amenities;
with the ultimate goal of rental rate optimization. The uniqueness of the research is
twofold in that the "tenant response" based hedonic analysis is modeled via
cluster analysis instead of the typical regressive framework. The usefulness of the
research is based in the presentation of a methodology that should at least be considered
as an adjunct technique to the typical regression analysis.
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