2025 in Review
Across every major theme we covered in 2025, one message converged. CRE entered a performance era, not a multiple-expansion era. That shift fundamentally changes what CRE strategy means heading into 2026.
Insights
From Vacancy to Vitality
As vacancies rise and construction costs climb, adaptive reuse has become CRE’s most bankable strategy. Developers are transforming obsolete buildings into productive assets that deliver faster returns, smaller carbon footprints, and stronger community value.
Powering Value
n today’s CRE market, the defining advantage isn’t location or amenities—it’s reliable, affordable power. Developers are realizing that access to steady energy sources now determines value creation. Amid growing grid strain, rapid electrification, and climate volatility, energy resilience has become the new currency of confidence among owners, tenants, and investors.
Why Valuation Transparency Is the New Competitive Edge
In commercial real estate, capital isn’t king anymore—clarity is. With cap rates rising, refinancing pressure mounting, and $600 billion in CRE debt maturing by 2028, the real question isn’t who has the cash—it’s who knows what their properties are really worth. In today’s market, valuation transparency is a strategic advantage that unlocks trust, speeds up deals, and attracts capital.
The Rise of Secondary CRE Markets in 2026
Several forces are accelerating the shift. Industrial and data center developers are hitting hard constraints in core markets—particularly around power availability and land scarcity. These limitations are pushing demand toward second-tier hubs, with cities like Phoenix, Dallas, and Atlanta emerging as hotspots for new development pipelines.
Helena’s Green & Green Q3 Newsletter
Take a look at the Q3 Newsletter from the Helena CBC Green & Green office. No property type was ‘hot’ or ‘slow’ during the 3rd quarter, meaning each property type saw a typical amount of sales.
Resilience, Recovery, and What’s Next
As we move through the final quarter of 2025, the commercial real estate (CRE) market is showing signs of renewed strength and resilience. In a recent episode of the CRE with CBC Worldwide Podcast, Lonnie Hendry, Chief Product Officer at Trepp and host of The TreppWire Podcast, joined host, Dan Spiegel, SIOR, senior vice president and managing director of Coldwell Banker Commercial, to unpack the current state of the market and share insights on what lies ahead.
CRE Lenders Are Lending Again
Q2 bank earnings brought a cautiously optimistic tone to CRE markets, with several national lenders citing stabilized credit conditions and improving deal flow. The result? Debt markets are moving again—but this time, with discipline.
Insurance Shockwaves
As one of CRE’s most familiar line items, commercial property insurance has historically operated in the background—but that is changing fast.
Power Crunch
Power approvals for grid-independent facilities—think solar, batteries, or gas backups—are lagging, forcing CRE professionals to rethink site selection, budgets, and deal strategies.