NEW YORK CITY-The previously announced merger has closed, with Five Mile taking the remainder of Prime's B preferred shares.

NEW YORK CITY-Marcus & Millichap broker Jason M. Byrne says you need to err on the side of aggressiveness . . . and think in terms of what your clients need, not what's in it for you.

NEW YORK CITY--The sector is on its way back, but there are questions about the wisdom of regulatory oversight.

Last year is generally considered the start of this long and bumpy recovery, and for a firm to log in a 20% year-over-year revenue gain is a respectful accomplishment, something any major, global company could look to with pride. But what if the year of comparison is 2007, when the industry, still in its heady go-go days, was firing on all cylinders? That's exactly what the small, tight-knit team who helm Miami-based United Trust Fund has accomplished.

Commercial real estate has long been considered one of the last industries where the glass ceiling hasn't been breached. But if the women on the next several pages are any indication, the "Old Boys' Club" may no longer be an apt description for the business. Women entered the sector in droves over the past few decades, and many have risen to the C-suite and are among the top decision-makers at their firms. As such, the editors of REAL ESTATE FORUM had a tough time selecting this year's Women of Influence. We weeded through some 200 worthy nominations to come up with 45 exectives whose accomplishments were particularly impressive. With an increasing number of women currently paying their dues and rising to management-level positions—not to mention mentoring a younger generation of female professionals—it seems like we'll have our work cut out for us in the years to come.

Now that we've got a foothold, tenuous though it may be, in recovery, it seems the talk is once again turning to sustainability. (We were all too busy trying to keep our heads above water during the downturn to worry about green things, unless a tenant asked, and no one was leasing anyway, so...)

Leadership of BOMA International is advancing its troops on a variety of fronts. But regardless of the issue— whether it be energy efficiency, carried interest or mandated sustainability thresholds—one overarching goal guides the group's efforts: to increase the freedom and capability of its 17,000 members in 93 local associations to chart their own course for success.

The market is slowly recuperating. Over the next 12 to 18 months, the road, even with its bumps, will continue to improve. But, to trot out the old saw, the recovery (such as it is), won't raise all of the boats equally.