— By Shane Shafer of Colliers — The Orange County multifamily market continues to attract significant investor attention as buyers increasingly view the broader Southern California environment as an opportunity to acquire assets at more attractive prices following the market’s recent adjustment. Orange County has emerged as one of the most sought-after investment destinations due to its strong economic fundamentals, population growth and operational stability. This renewed confidence has led to increased transaction activity and greater competition for well-located assets throughout SoCal’s best multifamily submarkets. Looking ahead, market fundamentals are expected to continue improving. Employment growth, housing affordability challenges and limited new supply continue to support long-term apartment demand. Markets like Orange County are particularly well-positioned due to its diversified economies, high barriers to entry and strong demographic trends. These factors have contributed to stable occupancy levels and continued rent growth across much of the region, especially in urban infill submarkets. A notable trend in today’s market is the increasing number of Los Angeles-based owners seeking acquisitions in Orange County. This market allows investors to diversify geographically while remaining close to existing portfolios. Many owners view this strategy as an effective way to balance exposure across multiple Southern California markets …
— By John Read of CBRE Retail Investment Properties-West — Often defined by its 42 miles of Pacific coastline, Orange County’s weather may not be the hottest throughout the Southern California region, but its retail performance arguably is. Orange County remains a target for retailers and investors alike, driving it to be one of the strongest retail markets in the larger region and nation. Orange County’s coastline and famously consistent weather with globally recognized theme parks — Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm — and retail landmarks like South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island, do contribute to the region’s exposure and appeal, but the county’s retail fundamentals are planted in its scale and demographics. Orange County’s nearly 800 square miles are home to more than 3.1 million residents and one of the most diverse populations in the U.S. with significant affluence and education. Average household income exceeds $157,000 and 46 percent of residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. With diversified industry sectors and major employers, including Disney, UC Irvine, Providence, Kaiser Permanente and Hoag, Orange County’s unemployment rate remains low, ending May 2026 at 3.5 percent. Together, those factors support retail fundamentals that remain stronger than many comparable markets. The …
Adaptive reuse has always been an astute trend when it comes to utilizing location, existing bones, and saving a little time and money on delivery. It’s also particularly useful in submarkets like the southeast Las Vegas submarket of Henderson where strong population growth and rising household incomes outpace the availability of new retail. This long-standing unmet demand for Class A retail has inspired one developer to reshape how it views underperforming office assets. Steve Neiger, managing principal at CAST Capital Partners, is co-developing the Cliff, a 100,000-square-foot office-to-retail conversion in Henderson’s Green Valley Ranch submarket. The project involves the repositioning of a vacant, low-density suburban office property that had struggled to remain competitive as newer product and shifting workplace trends weighed on demand. Rather than pursue a traditional office lease-up or a residential conversion, the development team, which includes Partners Capital, is transforming the site into an open-air retail and dining destination designed to better align with the area’s demographics, accessibility and surrounding residential density. The repositioning reflects a broader trend in how developers are evaluating aging office assets in high-growth suburban markets, particularly where strong consumer demand is not being met by existing retail supply. Situated along Paseo Verde …
— By Mike Mixer of Colliers — Recent headlines have pointed to a “cooling” of the Las Vegas Strip, with RevPAR down, visitation below peak levels and growth moderating from 2022 and 2023 highs. On paper, the numbers look softer. But before drawing conclusions, it’s important to consider how the data is being viewed as the comparisons most often used are distorted. The Pandemic was Not a Normal Cycle COVID-19 shut down the Strip in March 2020, an unprecedented event in modern history. Southern Nevada visitor volume dropped by more than 50 percent. Resorts closed, occupancy collapsed and revenues fell sharply. The 2021 to 2023 rebound that followed was equally unusual. Pent-up demand, stimulus liquidity and limited new supply drove record ADR growth and historic RevPAR levels. Both the downturn and the surge were outliers. When those years are used as a benchmark, today’s performance appears negative. In reality, it reflects normalization. Rates Remain Elevated Even with recent moderation, Strip ADR remains materially above pre-pandemic levels. Operators have maintained rate discipline and are not aggressively discounting to chase occupancy. That suggests stability rather than weakening demand. Capital Signals Confidence If the Strip were in decline, capital would be retreating. Instead, …
— By Hillary Steinberg of Avison Young — The Las Vegas retail market delivered a mixed but resilient performance in 2025, with vacancy remaining tight and demand holding steady. Vacancy closed the year at 5.6 percent with nearly 5.6 million square feet of available space. While these fundamentals reflect a healthy market, rent growth softened, increasing by just 2.4 percent year over year. At the same time, development activity remains robust, with roughly 880,000 square feet of retail space currently under construction. New projects continue to emphasize mixed-use and experiential concepts, positioning the market to capture sidelined capital and evolving consumer demand in the year ahead. Vacancy held steady at 5.6 percent in fourth-quarter 2025, supported by sustained population growth, a continued rebound in tourism and stable consumer spending. This momentum is being reinforced by Las Vegas’ economic diversification, which continues to fuel expansion across food, wellness and entertainment retail segments. Although rent growth has moderated from its 2022 peak, leasing fundamentals remain strong. Limited availability continues to favor landlords, who are maintaining pricing power and offering minimal concessions. However, rising construction and tenant improvement costs are placing upward pressure on deal economics. With inventory across Las Vegas, North Las …
— By Justin Neubeck of CBRE — Las Vegas is approaching an important turning point in its multifamily cycle. After several years of elevated construction, the market is now moving beyond its peak delivery period. The region completed about 7,071 units in 2023 — the highest total in more than 20 years. This was followed by 5,247 units in 2024 and 6,302 units in 2025. Deliveries are expected to decline again in 2026, to roughly 5,334 units. Meanwhile, 2027 deliveries areprojected to return to the 30-year average of about 3,500 units, including the 3,321 units currently scheduled. This shift marks the beginning of a more balanced supply environment. At the same time, the region continues to attract new residents at levels that outpace the national average. Clark County reached a population of about 2.4 million in 2024, an increase of 2.1 percent from 2023. It is projected to grow to more than 2.9 million by 2040, and to surpass 3 million by 2045. Southern Nevada also welcomed more than 40,000 new residents in 2025 alone. Nearly 47 percent came from California. This included 14,200 from Los Angeles County and thousands more from Orange County, San Diego and the Bay Area. …
— By Alma Cuevas and Jason Griffis of Cushman & Wakefield — The Las Vegas industrial market continues to evolve, shaped by new development and sustained demand. While vacancy has increased due to recent deliveries, the market tells a more nuanced story, particularly within smaller space requirements. Leasing activity in first-quarter 2026 totaled just under 3 million square feet, with an average deal size of about 21,000 square feet. Notably, about 95 percent of all leases occurred in spaces of less than 50,000 square feet. This concentration of activity underscores the continued depth of demand within the small and mid-bay segment. At the same time, the increase in vacancy is largely attributable to new construction, much of which has been concentrated in bulk distribution product. Continued development and expansion from groups like Prologis, OMP, EBS and Panattoni have added significant Class A institutional inventory to the market. While these projects enhance Las Vegas’ long-term positioning as a regional distribution hub, they have also expanded availability in spaces exceeding 100,000 square feet. This dynamic is effectively dividing the market into two distinct segments. Larger users are benefiting from increased optionality, more aggressive concessions and greater flexibility in lease negotiations. Smaller users, …
— By George Crawford of Kidder Mathews — In the city where heart-wrenching Hollywood movies originate, we bear witness to the harrowing coming-of-age story for one of the largest office submarkets in one of the largest metropolitan economies on earth, Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA). “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.” The Godfather, spoken by Don Vito Corleone It was almost too good to be true. In 2016, DTLA was the star of a commercial real estate love story. Landlords and tenants were captivated by a compelling script about creative tenants fleeing the expensive Westside into the welcoming arms of DTLA and sexy adaptive reuse offices. A steady flow of capital inspired 50 percent of DTLA’s submarket to trade in a 24-month period. Downtown was poised to rival the traditional metropolis, while retaining its gritty charm. Like any Hollywood romance, the chemistry was undeniable and the ending seemed predictable: sustained rent growth and long-term tenant demand. Then came the plot twist. “Where are we going so very quickly?” The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, spoken by Piglet The pandemic accelerated what technology had been threatening for years. Workplace flexibility and changing corporate …
— By Kitty Wallace of Colliers — The Los Angeles multifamily market is undergoing a short-term reset as a recent wave of deliveries has softened rents and modestly increased vacancy. However, this dislocation is proving transitory as development has slowed dramatically and the forward pipeline is effectively falling off a cliff beyond 2026, reinforcing what remains one of the most supply constrained and fundamentally durable markets in the country. Since the onset of COVID, the Los Angeles market has contended with elevated legislative risk, homelessness and crime concerns, modest population fluctuations, rising operating expenses, and, most notably, increased insurance premiums and utility costs. Yet, with a vacancy in the mid-5 percent range, this multifamily market continues to outperform the national average of roughly 8 percent. Rents are now stabilizing and beginning to inflect upward as concessions burn off and demand normalizes. Policy Headwinds, Construction Challenges, Emerging Tailwinds The ULA tax, imposing a 5.5 percent levy on transactions above $10.6 million, has further constrained new construction. This has made it increasingly difficult for projects to pencil and has driven many sites toward lower-density uses or affordable housing backed by subsidized capital. As a result, much of the current development activity is concentrated among …
— By Mark Damiani of CBRE — Los Angeles has always been a market that requires conviction. Recent headlines have tested that conviction, but institutional capital continues to look through short-term noise and focus on long-term fundamentals. By that measure, Los Angeles remains one of the most structurally advantaged retail markets in the United States, defined by scale, supply constraints and global relevance. The market today is not without challenges, but fundamentals are stabilizing and capital is re-engaging following a meaningful repricing cycle. A Global Gateway with Structural Advantages Greater Los Angeles is one of the largest retail markets in the country, with about 378 million square feet of inventory. It benefits from a diverse economic base, significant tourism, and a consumer profile that spans both necessity and luxury spending. At the same time, new supply remains extremely limited. Total deliveries in 2025 were negligible relative to the size of the market, continuing a multi-year trend of underdevelopment. Entitlements, construction costs and land availability remain significant barriers, particularly in infill locations. This combination of scale and scarcity continues to underpin long-term investment theses for institutional capital. Leasing Fundamentals: Stabilization with Positive Momentum Leasing fundamentals across LA have proven more resilient than broader narratives …