WASHINGTON, DC—Data from the the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development show that new multifamily construction declined in May after rising by double digits in April, while building permits were up month over month and year over year.

HERNDON, VA—In tandem with slowing GDP growth projected through 2017, the NAIOP Research Foundation forecasts that office-using employment gains will soften "as those sectors feel the impact of less macroeconomic activity."

WASHINGTON, DC—Although softness in exports and the energy sector had been evident for some time, "the slowdown in other parts of the economy was not expected," the Federal Reserve chairman said Wednesday in announcing the central bank's decision not to raise rates this month.

NEW YORK CITY—The technology integration agreement is intended to provide a seamless flow of data between Hightower's leasing management platform and Altus Group's ARGUS Enterprise asset and investment management platform.

WASHINGTON, DC—Banks and thrifts, along with multifamily loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, drove volume growth during the first quarter, says Jamie Woodwell at the Mortgage Bankers Association.

PALO ALTO, CA—The founder of LiquidSpace tells how the company's model of flexibility and scalability in office rentals moved from plans for a network of new construction to a digital marketplace, in the conclusion to GlobeSt.com's series on Web-based platforms.

NEW YORK CITY—An increasing number of securitized transactions are coming to market with wide dispersion of credit risk; this creates more downside for a CMBS deal, says Eric Rothfeld at Fitch Ratings.

LOS ANGELES—The price of materials is just one factor in construction cost trends, says CBRE Group's Andrea Cross. Since 2011, those trends have moved steadily upward.