Freddie Mac CEO Donald Layton said the GSE is exploring the single-family rental market, in consultation with the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and touted the affordability aspect of the plan. “We believe it’s appropriate to enter that market with care and where there are additional social benefits, and significant affordable characteristics. So it’ll be on a smaller scale,” he told Inside The GSEs. “We have permission to go for a limited amount of volume to learn about the business.”This is in contrast to Fannie Mae’s entry into the single-family market. Earlier this year Fannie did a $1 billion deal with Invitation Homes as a pilot program.