In our latest edition of our annual tradition, we reached out to several CRE experts and economists from leading national firms to provide their predictions and insights regarding what they expect to see across the commercial real estate landscape as we head into 2026.
The consensus among industry leaders has shifted from the “cautious resilience” of previous years to a “broad-based optimism.” Many experts pointed to the stabilization of interest rates and a historic shortage of new supply as the primary drivers for the coming year. Other common themes in the predictions below include the maturation of AI infrastructure and a definitive “flight to quality” across all asset classes.
To accompany the expert points below, we’ve also linked to Cushman & Wakefield’s 2026 U.S. Outlook and Deloitte’s 2026 CRE Industry Forecast, which cover the macroeconomic shifts and capital market dynamics expected to shape the next 24 months.
Without further ado, let’s get to the expert predictions…
Here is what real estate experts say about Retail Trends in 2026:
The narrative of 2026 is moving from resilience to optimism. As we head into the new year, the tone has shifted meaningfully. There is still risk on both sides of the outlook, but we’ve moved past the peak levels of uncertainty, and confidence in the CRE sector is building. Capital is flowing again, interest rates are moving lower, and leasing fundamentals are generally stabilizing or improving. If 2025 was a test of resilience, 2026 has real potential to reward it.
Lisa Shields, Vice President, Radius Commercial Real Estate
As we head into 2026, we are seeing the results of the massive migration we’ve experienced over the last few years finally maturing. The ‘low-hanging fruit’ of available space in South Florida is long gone. For 2026, the real story is repositioning and revitalization. We are seeing legacy assets that have been held for 40-plus years finally trading hands and being reimagined. With new development still lagging behind demand, investors are forced to look at existing neighborhood centers and find ways to modernize them to serve a more affluent, permanent resident base. Specifically, I expect to see a significant continued push into medical office integration within traditional retail footprints. In 2026, the shopping center isn’t just for groceries anymore—it’s the primary hub for local health and essential services!
Russell Bornstein, Senior Director, Colliers International
Data centers should continue to be hot property. Demand is booming thanks to artificial intelligence, cloud computing and the continued digitization of nearly every industry. Strictly from a CRE standpoint, these properties should represent one of the most attractive and competitive plays heading into 2026.
Michael Farley, Executive Director, Boutique National
The environment strengthened notably in the second half of 2025 and momentum is expected to build further in 2026. We expect debt markets to remain very active and for lender appetite to continue to broaden across property sectors. The impact of lower new construction will become progressively larger in the office sector as occupiers looking for new, large-block space face fewer options and higher rental rates.
Brad Farber, Director of Asset Management, Box Equities
I remember sitting with an LP six years ago and he said retail would never be an institutionally investable asset class again. Well, the world has turned. In the last 24 months, retail has been the best-performing sector. The world has come back to retail, and it’s great news for everyone
Spencer Levy, Global Client Strategist & Senior Economic Advisor, CBRE
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