APRIL 18, 2020

Editor's Note

Share Your Photos

Right now, almost all of us are working from home. But the commercial real estate industry has always been about getting to know people face-to-face. So, we would like to ask our readers to share a bit of yourselves with us at this unprecedented moment in time. Please share photos of yourselves at your new at-home workspaces, with your new pint-sized and furry co-workers and wearing your new protective gear (with your names and professional affiliations included if possible). We will publish the best images in an online gallery and in a future issue of NREI magazine. We look forward to hearing from and seeing you from a safe distance.

Please email the photos to elaine.misonzhnik@informa.com with the subject line NREI Reader Photos.

Top Stories

COVID-19

CRE's Potential Winners and Losers in a Virus-Hit World

By Elaine Misonzhnik, Executive Editor

It may not be fair, but even pandemics tend to benefit some people and segments of society while devastating others. The Black Death, for example, led to higher wages for suddenly scarce laborers and a vast expansion of Western Europe’s middle class. COVID-19 will also likely leave both the world, and the commercial real estate industry, looking different than they did before. Here’s how the current pandemic could play out for various segments of the U.S. real estate industry.

FULL ARTICLE

Development

COVID-19 Creates New Barriers for Developers

By Beth Mattson-Teig, Contributing Writer

The outlook for construction and development has been thrown into deep uncertainty by the COVID-19 pandemic.

FULL ARTICLE

Office

Office Tenants of All Sizes Are Asking for Rent Relief. Some Institutional Owners Are Offering Them Deferrals

By Patricia Kirk, Contributing Writer

With the COVID-19 shutdown interrupting business operations across a large swaths of industries, office tenants have begun seeking rent relief. For example, Kenneth S. Fields, Los Angeles attorney at law firm Greenberg Glusker, says his office tenant clients are asking if they can stop paying rent, and landlord clients are seeking advice on what to do if tenants stop paying.

FULL ARTICLE

Analysis

Technology

VR and AR Property Tours Garner Increased Attention Amid Lockdown. But They Are Not Leading to Many Deals

By Sebastian Obando, Staff Writer

Can new technologies help commercial real estate professionals complete deals while both they and their clients are staying at home? VR and AR technology are drawing more attention in the commercial real estate space, but COVID-19 precautions stall widespread adoption, according to industry sources.

FULL ARTICLE

Retail

Mid-Market Fitness Concepts the Most Likely to Feel the Burn of COVID-19

By Liz Wolf, Contributing Writer

The once-booming fitness sector is taking a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic as big-box gyms and boutique fitness studios shutter across the United States.

FULL ARTICLE

Industrial

Warehouse Tenants and Landlords Say They Are Following CDC Guidelines to Keep Facilities Safe. But Are They Doing Enough?

By Patricia Kirk, Contributing Writer

While a record number of American workers have been laid off or are working from home, warehouses and e-commerce distribution facilities are beefing up staffing to get groceries and other essential merchandise to consumers.

FULL ARTICLE

Podcast

Finance & Investment

NREI's Common Area, Episode 32

By NREI Staff

In this episode of Common Area Podcast, David Bodamer speaks with Adam Hooper, the founder and CEO of RealCrowd. Together, they discuss the impact that COVID-19 is having on commercial real estate, which was in a fairly strong position prior to the pandemic.

LISTEN HERE

Commentary

Alternative Properties

The Short- and Long-Term Implications of COVID-19 for Seniors Housing

By John Powell

There will be pain in the immediate future, especially for independent living, and some lasting changes in operating procedures.

FULL ARTICLE

NREI Wire

A Short Bet Against Malls Fuels 48% Gain for One Long-Time Bear

Bloomberg

A hedge fund’s long-held bearish bet on the demise of America’s malls sparked its biggest gains ever last month as the Covid-19 pandemic shut down much of the U.S. economy, threatening commercial landlords.

FULL ARTICLE

Seven Must Reads for the CRE Industry Today

By NREI Staff

After lockdown, Chinese shoppers upped their spending at luxury boutiques, reports the Wall Street Journal. A white supremacist has tried to blow up a Jewish assisted living facility in Massachusetts, according to The New York Times. These are among today’s must reads from around the commercial real estate industry.

FULL ARTICLE