DES PLAINES, ILL. — Des Plaines-based CORFAC International’s first-half 2025 survey of members from 75 independent commercial real estate firms across the globe shows that deal activity is on an upward trajectory. When assessing the past six months, 67 percent of respondents said that deal activity had increased, compared with 35 percent of respondents in the last survey.
Industrial real estate continues to be the leading driver of CORFAC members’ business. Nearly 70 percent of respondents said it was a leading driver of business so far in 2025, and 56 percent said they expected it to be the leading sector in the second half of the year. In addition, 72 percent identified warehouse and distribution centers, continuing the trend from 2024, of those categories leading the way.
Members from 40 markets around the world identified positive employment trends (55 percent), population migration into their market (48 percent), and stabilizing interest rates (38 percent) as the three key factors that are having a positive influence on transaction activity.
Some economic realities that are worrying members include high costs of construction (66 percent), inflation and interest rates (60 percent), and local and national policies (40 percent).
“We’re pleased to see the strong development in deal activity in the first half of the year, but we also recognize the economic uncertainty that’s going to require a steadying force to keep that heading upward,” says Daniel Shindleman, 2025 CORFAC president.