LOS ANGELES—Self-driving vehicles could one day bring seniors to outlying retail and make "many downtown parking structures obsolete," says CBRE's Revathi Greenwood.

RICHMOND, VA—The $1.3-billion merger between Apple Hospitality and Apple Ten will create one of the largest select service hotel REITs, with properties across 33 states.

HAVANA—With diplomatic relations between Cuba and the US normalized for the first time in more than 50 years, Fitch Ratings sees hurdles as well as opportunities for hotel operators, cruise lines and OTAs.

BOSTON—The head of CBRE's national self-storage valuation group, R. Christian Sonne, cites "acquisition activity and conservative spreads in cap rates."

NEW YORK CITY—James B. Taylor will join the shopping center REIT next month from Federal Realty Investment Trust, where he's currently CFO and EVP.

NEW YORK CITY—With "question marks" around some of the major property types amid economic uncertainty, Marcus & Millichap's Peter Von Der Ahe says investors see well-located apartment properties as "a good place to be."

NEW YORK CITY—The $1.5-billion cash-and-stock deal furthers Annaly Capital Management's diversification of its investment options, and also continues a recent trend of consolidation in the mortgage REIT sector.

BETHESDA, MD—Coming about a week after an Anbang-led group dropped its offer to buy Starwood Hotels, the separate votes by shareholders bring Starwood and Marriott "that much closer to completing our transaction," says Marriott's Arne Sorenson.