- Multifamily Is King.On a sector-by-sector basis, the most active real estate market segment according to Akerman data this year is multifamily, 63% of respondents say. This marks a significant reversal from 2017 when 43% of commercial real estate leaders predicted single-family homebuilding would outpace multifamily development.
- It's All About Taxes and Technology.Akerman findings show report participants split almost equally behind two major elements they say will define the trajectory of U.S. commercial real estate for the next three years. Forty-eight percent of them ranked the advent of technology among the two most critical trends for the sector, along with the most extensive rewrite of the US tax code in 30 years recently passed by Congress (42%).
- Strong Job Growth Signals Opportunities in Real Estate.Some two thirds of executives surveyed (66%) say job creation in 2018 will be either marginally (48%) or significantly (18%) higher than in 2017. And the balance (29%) say it will be about the same as 2017. Far less (5%) see job creation in 2018 lower than in 2017.
- Bullish but Not Carefree.Forty-six percent of Akerman respondents share concerns on the effects rising interest rates will have on the US economy, something many say could temper market momentum. Three in 10 executives (29%) also point to global economic worries.
- Confident Foreign Capital Continues Chasing US Commercial Real Estate.Akerman data show foreign investors are continuing their aggressive pursuit of U.S. assets, with survey respondents indicating overseas investment level at a record high, the vast majority of which will come from Europe, executives say. Real estate executives also say the greatest increase in Latin American real estate investment in the US will come from Brazil and Mexico.
- Private Equity, Banks Reign Among Financing Sources.When it comes to the top sources for real estate equity and debt, more than half of Akerman's survey participants cited private equity (57%) and banks (48%) as the leading vehicles for real estate funding. Institutional lenders and private equity funds have maintained a leading role in real estate financing in the last three years, Akerman data show.
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Natalie Dolce
Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com, is responsible for working with editorial staff, freelancers and senior management to help plan the overarching vision that encompasses GlobeSt.com, including short-term and long-term goals for the website, how content integrates through the company’s other product lines and the overall quality of content. Previously she served as national executive editor and editor of the West Coast region for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, and was responsible for coverage of news and information pertaining to that vital real estate region. Prior to moving out to the Southern California office, she was Northeast bureau chief, covering New York City for GlobeSt.com. Her background includes a stint at InStyle Magazine, and as managing editor with New York Press, an alternative weekly New York City paper. In her career, she has also covered a variety of beats for M magazine, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, FashionLedge.com, and Co-Ed magazine. Dolce has also freelanced for a number of publications, including MSNBC.com and Museums New York magazine.
