A version of this article first appeared in the CNBC Property Play newsletter with Diana Olick. Property Play covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, from individuals to venture capitalists, private equity funds, family offices, institutional investors and large public companies. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox.
The 2025 economy wasn’t as robust as anticipated — and that’s shaping the commercial real estate outlook for 2026. The economy has slowed down, unemployment is up and construction has taken a bit of a breather across most sectors.
This year saw increases in both tariffs and immigration restrictions. Together, those have raised costs for builders and developers. But interest rates have also come down, which is starting to unlock more capital, albeit slowly and cautiously.
Here’s what you can expect for the year ahead.
The many and varied outlook reports from just about every commercial real estate firm out there, as well as related consulting and financial services firms, use words like “new equilibrium” (Colliers), “firmer fundamentals” (Cushman & Wakefield), “ongoing recovery” (KBW) and “signs of price stability” (CoStar).
