SAN FRANCISCO—In preparation for next week's RealShare Bay Area conference, GlobeSt.comcaught up with a few more panelists to get their thoughts on thelocal market and what they will be discussing at the upcomingevent. Panelist Alan Walker, VP of SwiftReal Estate Partners, tells GlobeSt.com that “Macro-wise,the domestic economy continues to trudge along. I liken it to beinghalfway through a marathon—it may not feel great and you're still aways from your goal, but you are making forward progress.”

Walker tells GlobeSt.com that it's no secret that tech and therelated hiring is driving the growth in office occupancy, rents,and sales prices in certain markets. “The business plans forinternet and mobile start-ups today are generally and measurablybetter than they were in 1999-2000 but that still doesn't mean theyare all outstanding,” he says. “As real estate professionals, weare not technology experts but we can see how these groups arebehaving vis-a-vis leasing space and long-term planning and theyseem to be much more thoughtful about it than during the dot comera.”

In these growth markets, Walker adds, it is competitive tobuy—whether it's big, medium, or small sized deals. “Not everymarket has recovered equally—there are still 'have and have-not'markets—but the lines are starting to blur a bit.”