Aaron Kirk Douglas is director of market intelligence at HFO Investment Real Estate, where he has worked since 2006. He spent 16 years as the firm’s marketing director before moving into his current research role. The Portland Business Journal, The Oregonian/Oregonlive, Willamette Week, OPB, and KOIN-TV have recently quoted him on apartment market conditions. Additionally, he is a regular contributor to the Rental Housing Journal, and journalists across the region draw on his analysis of Oregon and Washington multifamily trends.
Aaron created and produces the long-running Multifamily Marketwatch® research series, which spans weekly newsletters, video programming, and podcasts reaching apartment owners, investors, and developers throughout the Pacific Northwest. His work is grounded in CoStar data and HFO’s own research. As a result, he tracks rents, vacancy, sales, construction, and housing policy across Oregon and Washington. He also focuses on turning complex market data into analysis owners can act on.
Additional Background
Before real estate, Aaron worked in journalism, creative nonfiction, and filmmaking. This background shapes the clarity of HFO’s research storytelling. He remains active in the arts as co-creator of the musical Planet Eden, originally developed in 2011 with composer Kurt Crowley (music director, Hamilton; and music supervisor and Broadway orchestrator, Warriors). The musical relaunched in 2026 as Among the Stars, in collaboration with musician, lyricist, and playwright Joel Cobbs, a 2026 semifinalist for the Stanley Drama Award. The musical is currently in workshop development with director Bruce Akpan Hostetler in partnership with the Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre. Additionally, his documentary film, Monster Camp, won Best Documentary at the Cinequest film festival in San Jose and remains available for rent on Amazon Prime.
Aaron serves on the boards of the Broadway Rose Theatre Company and the University Club of Portland. His prior board service includes the Oregon Media Production Association, the Hollywood Theatre, the Portland Area Theatre Alliance, and Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest.
He is a licensed real estate broker in Oregon and Washington.