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The office sector showed its strongest performance since COVID in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Lee & Associates’ 2026 Q2 North America Market Report.
AcquisitionsContent PartnerDevelopmentFeaturesIndustrialLeasing ActivityLee & AssociatesLoansMidwestMultifamilyNortheastOfficeRetailSoutheastTexasWestern

Lee & Associates’ Q2 Report: Office, Retail Markets Gain Momentum as Industrial, Multifamily Face Headwinds

by Sarah Daniels

The Lee & Associates’ 2026 Q2 North America Market Report finds that commercial real estate fundamentals are improving, but the pace of recovery varies significantly by property type and market. Office and retail sectors are showing renewed momentum, industrial demand continues to recover unevenly amid trade uncertainty and multifamily fundamentals are stabilizing as new supply begins to moderate. Across all sectors, investors and occupiers remain highly selective in an evolving market. Sponsored: Download Lee & Associates’ 2026 Q2 North America Market Report. Industrial Overview: Recovering Demand Is Uneven Amid Trade Tensions Demand for North American industrial space in the second quarter continued to recover from slowing caused by heightened trade uncertainties that began early last year. Modest tenant expansion in the United States remains well off pre-COVID average growth. In the United States, 44.4 million square feet of net absorption in the second quarter brought the mid-year total to 77.1 million square feet, about 30 percent less than the pre-pandemic five-year average. First-half deliveries fell to 93 million square feet, which included 44.4 million square feet in the first quarter — the least in seven years. Although supply additions have moderated, the pullback in tenant demand over the past three years …

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Regions Ann Atkins Multifamily July
CaliforniaContent PartnerFeaturesLoansMultifamilyNortheastRegions Real Estate Capital MarketsSoutheastWestern

Resilient Demand in Key Regions Supports Multifamily Through Midyear Challenges

by Sarah Daniels

By Ann Atkinson, Regions Real Estate Capital Markets Midway through 2026, the multifamily industry appears to be holding steady. By many accounts, fundamentals are weathering uncertainties across the economy, job markets and geopolitical arenas. While some key metrics have softened, the overall health of the apartments sector demonstrates how essential this class of real estate is. Simply stated, everyone needs a safe place to call home. Sustained demand for rental units remains central to the sector’s health, and conditions in the for-sale market continue to shape that demand directly. For many households, homeownership has become increasingly out of reach. Affordability has eroded sharply over the past decade, driven by land use restrictions, constrained housing supply and a widening gap between mortgage costs and income, according to an October Goldman Sachs’ U.S. outlook for housing supply and affordability. Elevated interest rates in recent years have only added to the strain. Together, these factors are keeping many Americans in rentals far longer than they might have planned. Even with strong demand, the apartments market isn’t without challenges. The industry is still working through the surge in new unit supply that hit the market over the past few years. As a result, rents …

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The growing presence of first-time and out-of-market buyers throughout Texas suggests that investor confidence is beginning to return.
Content PartnerMultifamilyOfficeTexas

Why Texas’ Market Recalibration is Creating New Opportunities for Commercial Real Estate Investors

by Jaime Lackey

For much of the past several years, Texas commercial real estate markets have been characterized by a disconnect between buyer expectations and seller pricing. As interest rates increased and capital became more selective, transaction activity slowed while many property owners remained reluctant to adjust valuations. Today, that dynamic is changing. Across Texas, commercial real estate markets are undergoing a period of recalibration. While conditions vary by asset class and market, pricing expectations, capital availability and investor sentiment are gradually moving toward a new equilibrium. As that process unfolds, transaction activity is increasing and new opportunities are emerging for investors willing to take a long-term view. Transaction Activity is Beginning to Accelerate One of the clearest signs of improving market conditions is the return of transaction activity. As buyers and sellers become more aligned on pricing, more assets are trading and a broader range of investors are entering the market. Local investors remain active, while out-of-state capital continues to target Texas opportunities. In addition, many first-time buyers are pursuing acquisitions in markets and asset classes that may have seemed out of reach during previous market cycles. This increase in participation is helping restore liquidity and creating a healthier transaction environment. Rather …

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Michael Glass, Marcus & Millichap
Content PartnerIndustrialMidwestMultifamilyOfficeRetail

Why Midwest Stability Continues to Attract Commercial Real Estate Investors

by Jaime Lackey

For much of the past several years, commercial real estate investors have navigated a market defined by uncertainty. Interest rate volatility, inflation concerns, geopolitical tensions and shifting workplace trends have all contributed to an environment where predicting the next move can feel increasingly difficult. Against that backdrop, the Midwest continues to stand out for a different reason: stability. Across many Midwest markets, commercial real estate fundamentals have remained relatively balanced compared with other regions of the country. While some markets have experienced dramatic swings in pricing, development activity and occupancy levels, much of the Midwest has maintained a steadier trajectory. That consistency allows investors and operators to focus on executing long-term business plans rather than constantly reacting to market volatility. Stability Remains the Midwest’s Competitive Advantage One of the region’s greatest strengths is the balance between supply and demand. Unlike certain Sun Belt markets that have experienced significant waves of new development, many Midwest metros have avoided substantial oversupply. As a result, property owners have been able to continue implementing value-add strategies, improving operations and generating steady rent growth. Commercial real estate success is rarely built overnight. In many Midwest markets, returns are generated through disciplined management, operational efficiencies and …

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The owners who will come through the process successfully, are the ones who are proactive, realistic, and have a clear plan, whether they are refinancing, selling or bringing in a capital partner. — Ann Atkinson, Managing Director of Real Estate Capital Markets, Regions Bank
Content PartnerLoansMultifamilyRegions Real Estate Capital Markets

The Wave is Here: What Multifamily Loan Maturities Mean for Owners, Lenders & Brokers in 2026

by Jaime Lackey

The mass of multifamily loan maturities that has peaked over the past few years remains elevated and is destined to impact the industry in 2026. Coupled with current elevated interest rates, and what accompanies them, these loans pose challenges to owners faced with the need to refinance. These hurdles are proving too difficult for some owners who secured their current property loans during the record low-interest rate period several years ago and who are now over-levered. While the maturity wall did subside a bit in 2025, that doesn’t mean the 2026 volume of maturities isn’t sizable. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association 2025 Commercial Real Estate Survey of Loan Maturity Volumes, 13 percent of mortgages backed by multifamily properties will mature in 2026 — a wave that will inarguably lead to a surge in transaction activity, whether successful refinances or forced sales. How We Got Here Interest rates in the United States reached an all-time record low during the 2020 – 2021 period. Many apartment owners capitalized on the inexpensive cost of debt and financed their properties for extremely low rates. However, in the years since, the country has battled serious bouts of inflation which, in turn, have caused the …

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Retail page of Lee & Associates Q1 2026 North America Market Report
Content PartnerLee & AssociatesMarket ReportsMidwestNortheastSoutheastTexasWestern

Lee & Associates’ Report: Industrial and Multifamily Slow, Office Recovers, Retail Demand Holds

by Jaime Lackey

The headline numbers in commercial real estate rarely tell the full story. First-quarter 2026 data is a case in point: Lee & Associates reports that industrial and multifamily are slowly absorbing a historic supply surge, office is staging an uneven recovery, and retail is contending with a shortage of quality space rather than a glut of it. Here’s a sector-by-sector look at where U.S. commercial real estate stands heading into the rest of the year — and which markets are bucking the trend. Sponsored: Download Lee & Associates’ 2026 Q1 North America Market report. Industrial Overview: Logistics Demand Moderates; Small Space Needs Gain There was continued weakness in the first quarter across North American industrial markets. The slowing has produced an overhang of newly delivered speculative logistics space, while rent growth has fallen to virtually nil. In the United States, net absorption totaled 32.8 million square feet in Q1, or 0.2 percent of the 19.3-billion-square-foot inventory. It was the lowest rate of tenant growth in more than a decade aside from the 17.6-million-square-foot contraction in Q2 following the U.S.’s initial tariff announcements. The overall vacancy rate in Q1 settled at 7.5 percent, which has nearly doubled since 2022 as new …

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These tables highlight major office market indicators across North America for Q42025, including vacancy rates, rents, prices per square foot, construction activity, inventory sizes and capitalization rates. Source: Lee & Associates’ 2025 Q4 North America Market Report.
Content PartnerDevelopmentFeaturesIndustrialLeasing ActivityLee & AssociatesLoansMidwestMultifamilyNortheastOfficeRetailSoutheastTexasWestern

Q4 2025 Demand Overview: Industrial and Multifamily Slowed, Office Stabilized, Retail Held Steady

by Sarah Daniels

Lee & Associates’ 2025 Q4 North America Market Report looks at diverging market demand across industrial, office, retail and multifamily spaces nationwide in the last quarter. Demand continued to soften for industrial spaces, while multifamily saw a reversal: decreased demand after seven consecutive quarters of strengthening. Office saw a slow increase in net absorption, but only after six years of negative absorption; retail demand was mixed. Industrial and retail spaces contended with tariff concerns, while all four types of commercial real estate saw either decreased or slowed rent growth in the final quarter of 2025. Lee & Associates’ full, detailed market report is available to read here. The overviews for the sectors below illustrate the market landscape through data on net absorption, leasing and development activity, sales transactions and rent growth, in addition to demand. Industrial Overview: Demand Falls Under Tariff Pressure Falling demand for industrial space continued in 2025 under the added strain of the United States’ aggressive trade and tariff policies affecting commercial property markets across North America. In the United States net absorption declined again in 2025 as tenant and rent growth fell to their lowest levels since the aftermath of the financial crisis. Meanwhile, inventory growth has been scaled back …

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AcquisitionsContent PartnerFeaturesLoansMidwestMultifamilyNortheastRegions Real Estate Capital MarketsSoutheastWestern

Navigating Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Small Balance Multifamily Loan Programs

by Sarah Daniels

By Ann Atkinson, Regions Real Estate Capital Markets Most multifamily real estate owners need to finance or refinance their apartment community at some point. Many utilize the small balance multifamily loan programs available through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to do so. Understanding how lenders navigate each phase of the loan cycle can give owners a strategic advantage, especially in a time of elevated rate volatility. A significant amount of multifamily debt is maturing in 2026. Borrowers should not wait to refinance to avoid the concentrated competition later in the year when lenders are faced with refinancing demand. In addition, modest rent growth today offers refinancing upside; and finally, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have higher production caps in 2026, providing more runway for lending. The following overview, based on Regions Real Estate Capital Markets’ experience, outlines five key phases of the process, with helpful tips throughout: 1. Screening and Term Sheet Loan screening kicks off the relationship between borrower and lender. The lender’s production representative often conducts an introductory call with the borrower, who completes an application and provides due diligence items. Access a checklist of items to provide to Regions for screening here. Tip #1: Get all required (and …

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Rob Finlay AI CRE quote from article
Content PartnerFeaturesLoansMidwestNortheastSoutheastTexasWestern

AI-Driven Approach Powers the Next Phase of Commercial Real Estate Strategy

by Sarah Daniels

Commercial real estate is in the middle of one of its biggest transitions. For years, the challenge was finding data. Now, the challenge is knowing what to do with it. Artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to change that. The conversation has shifted from if we should be using AI to how we can use it in a way that actually improves business outcomes. REBusinessOnline recently spoke with Rob Finlay, founder and CEO of Defease With Ease | Thirty Capital, and Trevor Albarran, VP of product at Lobby AI, about how AI is changing decision-making in commercial real estate (CRE), what early adopters have learned and what leaders should be focusing on next. REBusinessOnline (REBO): What’s the biggest opportunity facing CRE executives today? Rob Finlay: It depends on the context, but right now, AI is the most powerful tool a real estate executive can have in their arsenal. AI finally gives principals — the people paid to think — the space to actually do that. When I started in real estate, I was paid to do. But as my role evolved, my value shifted to thinking —  being strategic, motivating teams, and making high-level decisions. AI amplifies that ability. It takes …

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Patrick McGlohn Berkadia Capital Returns quote from article
Build-to-RentContent PartnerFeaturesIndustrialLoansMidwestMultifamilyNortheastRetailSelf-StorageSoutheastTexasWestern

Capital Returns as 2025 Signals a Market Reset

by Sarah Daniels

By Patrick McGlohn, senior managing director, Berkadia After two years of caution and recalibration, capital is flowing back into commercial real estate. The bid-ask gap between buyers and sellers is narrowing, underwriting assumptions are stabilizing and both equity and debt investors are once again finding common ground. At Berkadia, we’re seeing equity move from the sidelines to the playing field, selectively, but decisively. Equity’s Comeback: Selective, but Strong Private equity and institutional investors are increasingly re-entering the market, with activity strongest in the “Smile States,” stretching from Northern Virginia to the western states and extending into major cities like Chicago. Much of the capital is chasing value-add and opportunistic plays rather than core, stabilized assets. Over the past couple of years, many equity investors would only touch preferred equity because of valuation uncertainty, but now we’re seeing common equity return in a meaningful way. The change reflects both greater pricing clarity and a collective sense that the bottom of the market cycle has passed. Navigating the Wall of Maturities The looming wall of debt maturities remains a defining storyline for 2025 and beyond. Nearly $950 billion in commercial mortgages matured in 2025 — roughly 20 percent of all outstanding commercial …

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