Dr. Stephen S. Fuller, director of the Center for RegionalAnalysis at George Mason University, compiled these and otherfigures in order to quantify the commercial real estate industry'simpact on the greater economy for an analysis sponsored by theNational Association of Industrial and Office Properties ResearchFoundation. "I was surprised at the scale and cumulative impact thecommercial real estate sector actually has on the economy," he saidduring a conference call discussing the report's findings.

"We have always known intuitively that the commercial realestate industry has had a tremendous impact on the economy," ThomasJ. Bisacquino, president of NAIOP, also said during the same call."But up until this report, we have been unable to quantify theimpact [it] has had."

The report, "the Contribution of Office, Industrial and RetailDevelopment and Construction on the US Economy," also quantifiedthe ongoing benefits commercial real estate delivers to a localityeven after the building is complete, Fuller told listeners."Economic benefits do not end with a ribbon cutting," he said."There are recurring expenditures for building operations, forinstance."