How Billionaires Are Repositioning Portfolios in 2026 (And What It Means for Multifamily Investors)

Stock markets sit near record highs. Consumer confidence just hit its lowest level since 2014.

Gold surged 74% in the last year. Silver jumped 139%. Bitcoin crashed 46% from its peak.

Something doesn't add up.

When markets send mixed signals like this, the smartest move isn't guessing what comes next. It's watching what billionaires do with their money.

Every year, UBS surveys the world's wealthiest investors and asks one question: Where are you moving capital in the next 12 months?

The 2026 results just dropped. And they reveal a clear pattern: capital is rotating out of public markets and into hard assets that produce income.

The Billionaire Playbook: Where Capital Is Moving

According to the UBS Billionaire Survey, here's how the ultra-wealthy are repositioning in 2026:

Top 5 Asset Classes for Increased Exposure:

1. Private equity (direct investments) — 49% increasing exposure

2. Developed market equities — 43% increasing

3. Hedge funds — 43% increasing

4. Emerging market equities — 42% increasing

5. Private equity funds — 37% increasing

Real estate showed up at 33% planning to increase exposure. Middle of the pack, right?

Wrong.

That 33% figure only counts direct real estate ownership—buying buildings outright. It doesn't include private equity real estate, syndications, or debt investments. When you combine all real estate exposure vehicles, the asset class dominates the top of the list.

Lesley Hurst, president of Penn Charter Abstract, put it bluntly: "We're seeing the wealthiest investors shift toward hard assets and income-producing assets that hedge against volatility. In uncertain cycles, wealth consolidates around tangible assets with long-term utility."

Translation: When markets get choppy, smart money buys cash-flowing real estate.

Why Private Equity Real Estate Wins in Volatile Markets

Let's be clear: billionaires don't manage their own properties.

They don't negotiate with contractors. They don't chase tenants for rent. They don't unclog toilets at 2 AM.

They invest passively in syndications and funds—and let professionals handle operations.

Here's why private equity real estate is the #1 increased exposure category among billionaires:

1. Income Without Volatility

Stocks swing 2-3% daily. Multifamily rents stay predictable. Cash flow doesn't care what the S&P does.

2. Inflation Hedge Built In

Rents rise with inflation. Debt payments stay fixed. Real estate is one of the few assets that benefits from inflation rather than suffers from it.

3. Tax Advantages That Stack

Depreciation, cost segregation, bonus depreciation, 1031 exchanges. The tax code is written to favor real estate investors. Billionaires know this. That's why they use it.

4. Diversification From Public Markets

When equities drop, real estate values don't move in lockstep. Lower correlation = better risk-adjusted returns.

5. Tangible Asset With Utility

Gold sits in a vault. Bitcoin lives on a server. Apartments house people. The underlying utility creates durable demand regardless of market sentiment.

The Shift Happening Right Now

Professional investor Erik Drentlaw observed: "The savviest investors aren't chasing hype in 2026; they're positioning for resilience. We've seen a shift favoring cash-flowing assets and strategic private investments over frothy public markets."

Look at the data again:

• 49% of billionaires increasing private equity exposure

• 43% increasing developed market equities

• 33% increasing infrastructure

• 33% increasing real estate (direct)

• 33% increasing private debt

Notice the pattern? Hard assets. Income-producing. Inflation-hedged.

Now look at what they're decreasing:

• 28% decreasing private equity funds (shifting to direct deals)

• 22% decreasing private debt

• 22% decreasing developed market fixed income

• 21% decreasing real estate (likely repositioning within the asset class)

They're not fleeing real estate. They're upgrading their real estate exposure—moving from funds to direct deals, from non-income-producing to cash-flowing, from public REITs to private syndications.

How Middle-Class Investors Can Follow the Billionaire Playbook

You don't need $100 million to invest like a billionaire.

Here's how to access the same strategies with $25K-$50K:

Real Estate Syndications

Minimum investments typically $25K-$50K. You get:

• Passive ownership in institutional-quality properties

• Professional management (no tenant calls)

• Cash flow distributions (typically 6-8% preferred return)

• Tax benefits (depreciation passes through)

• Equity upside on sale

This is how billionaires invest in real estate. You're just doing it at a smaller scale.

Private Debt (Secured Notes)

Lend $25K-$100K on first-lien positions at 10-15% interest. You get:

• Predictable monthly income

• Secured collateral (property backs the note)

• Shorter timeline (12-24 months typical)

• No property management headaches

Joint Venture Partnerships

Partner with active operators on specific deals:

• Provide capital as a silent partner

• Negotiate guaranteed minimum returns

• Participate in upside (flips, value-add, development)

• Exit when the project completes

REITs (With Caution)

Publicly traded REITs offer liquidity and low minimums ($100+), but they correlate too closely with the stock market to provide meaningful diversification. If you're buying REITs for diversification, you're not getting it.

Dollar-Cost Averaging Into Real Estate

Here's the strategy billionaires use that nobody talks about:

They don't time the market. They deploy capital consistently.

Instead of waiting for "the perfect time" to invest $100K, invest $5K-$10K every single month into different deals. Over 12 months, you've deployed $60K-$120K across 10-12 different assets.

Result: You create a bell curve of returns across multiple properties, markets, and deal types. Some perform better. Some perform worse. Most cluster around the expected return.

This is how you build wealth without gambling on perfect timing.

The 2026 Recession-Resilience Checklist

Recession risk remains elevated. Trade wars. Geopolitical instability. Softening labor markets.

If you're investing in 2026, prioritize recession-resistant characteristics:

✅ Cash-flowing from day one (no speculative value-add required)

✅ Essential housing (workforce/affordable vs. luxury)

✅ Strong sponsorship (experienced operators with track records)

✅ Conservative leverage (60-70% LTV, not 80%+)

✅ Diverse tenant base (not reliant on one employer or industry)

✅ Inflation-protected (rents rise with CPI)

Assets with these characteristics held up in 2008, 2020, and every recession before.

What Billionaires Know That You Don't

Here's the uncomfortable truth:

Billionaires aren't smarter than you. They just have better information flow and act on it faster.

When UBS surveys reveal 49% of billionaires are increasing private equity exposure—they're not guessing. They're reading the same economic data you have access to and making the rational move:

Rotate out of overvalued public markets. Rotate into income-producing hard assets.

You can do the exact same thing.

You don't need $100M. You don't need insider access. You just need to follow the capital.

The Bottom Line

Markets are sending mixed signals in 2026. Consumer confidence is collapsing while stocks hover near record highs. Gold and silver are surging while Bitcoin crashes.

In times like these, the wealthiest investors don't panic. They reposition.

And the data is clear: They're moving into private equity real estate at the highest rate in the survey.

If you're sitting on dry powder wondering where to deploy capital, you now know where the smart money is going.

The question is: Are you going to follow them, or wait until it's too late?

Learn The 5 Step Process Hundreds of Investors Have Used To Close Multifamily Deals In 90 Days With As Little As $18k Out Of Pocket.

LIVE Q&A TRAINING WITH JUSTIN THIS WEEK! 6PM PST

🙏🏼 Thanks for reading!

You can also find us on Facebook, and YouTube. 

Join our Facebook Group here!

Click here to join our WhatsApp Community.

Here's how I can help: 

1. Book a strategy call with Justin and his team to get "eureka moment" clarity about where you're at and where you want to go with real estate investing and plan.

2. Get investing tools and learning by starting with The Multifamily Schooled Courses.  

—Justin Brennan