Category: Property Investment

Countercyclical Investment Opportunities For REIT Investors

Commercial property owners face some daunting challenges, as I discussed in a recent article, which makes me bearish on REITs overall right now. A credit crunch is spiking just as property market conditions are softening – a deadly combination for many owners. Broad expectations of an economic downtown, if not a recession, portend even tougher …

The Office Market Reckoning is Nigh

Remote working is still upending the office property sector. In an article I wrote for Real Estate Issues in 2021, I considered the early evidence that working from home and hybrid work arrangements were likely to be lasting legacies of the pandemic.1 Two years later, the “will they or won’t they return to the office“ …

Thriving Retail Today: What are the Key Ingredients?

What drives successful brick-and-mortar retail today? What lessons can be learned from outperformers that can help owners improve their retail centers or plan better ones? How do shopping centers thrive alongside the convenience of e-commerce? And how can cities and towns help support successful retail development in their downtowns and in neighborhoods? I was pleased …

Retaining and Attracting Tenants in Today’s Tough Office Market

Office markets are increasingly challenging. Vacancies are rising, and tenants are extra choosy about where and what they will lease. Firms are looking for newer buildings that offer accessible locations, first-class amenities and services, appealing designs, and functional layouts. And probably most important, with our memories still scarred from pandemic fears, tenants demand buildings perceived …

“Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2023” Released

I’m pleased to have returned again this year as the lead writer for Emerging Trends in Real Estate, released last week by PwC and the Urban Land Institute. Despite the challenges of cyclical headwinds and shifting industry dynamics, industry participants remain largely optimistic and “take the long view.” One of our key themes for 2023. …

“Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2022” Released

I’m proud to have served as the lead writer for “Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2022” jointly released last week by the Urban Land Institute and PwC. Key themes in this year’s report: “Surprising Resilience, Booming Economy, Worrying Risks.” Following tradition, the report lays out ten top trends of relevance to the property sector including the impacts of working from home, growing …

Office is the New Retail

A Dynamic Property Sector Faces Painful Adjustments and a Bifurcated Recovery Despite wholly different market dynamics, the office property sector is confronting some challenging adjustments coming out of the pandemic that eerily mirror those buffeting the retail sector. American office workers are preparing to venture out from their home offices and return to their company …

What Can Commercial Real Estate Expect from the Biden Administration’s Economic Policies?

President-elect Biden’s policies will depart materially from those under the Trump Administration. In my first article on the Biden economic plan, I examined the potential impact of Biden’s expected tax proposals. In this article, I explore the expected spending priorities and regulatory approach, as well as the broader economic climate. Read my analysis on Propmodo.

The Coronavirus, the End of the Cycle, and U.S. Commercial Property Markets: Early Thoughts

The coronavirus has seized the global economy. With the number of confirmed cases globally and in the U.S. growing by about one-third per day – that is, doubling every three days – a broad range of economic activity is rapidly shutting down, either by fiat or collapsing consumer demand, dramatically compounding the supply chain disruption …