The Weekly Take from CBRE

Private club entrepreneur Tommy Shuey and CBRE’s Kelly Whaley discuss how these venues fill a growing need for personalized service and engagement outside the home or office, while driving value for both property owners and local communities.

·     A new “third place” is emerging: Private clubs are filling a growing desire for curated spaces where people can connect outside the home and workplace—a trend worth watching.

·     Landlords stand to benefit: These venues come with specialized space requirements that can translate into enhanced asset value and differentiated tenant mixes.

·     Investment opportunities are expanding: “Clubonomics” is carving out a distinct niche, especially in markets undergoing transformation and reinvention.

·     Dallas offers a blueprint: The city's embrace of upscale amenities outside the traditional downtown illustrates how this trend could impact urban real estate.

Two titans of New York real estate—Larry Silverstein and CBRE’s Mary Ann

Tighe—reveal the vision and partnerships behind the rebuilding of the World

Trade Center and Downtown Manhattan’s transformation into a vibrant 24/7

community. They make the case for art and culture as catalysts for

revitalization, dissect the complexities of public-private collaboration and

offer insights into today’s evolving office market.

LBA Realty's John Garrigan and Eric Brown and CBRE’s Matt Carlson discuss the resilient drivers propelling growth in the San Diego market. They also make a compelling case for value-add office investments, dissect the nuances of industrial capital markets and explore the role of relationships in navigating opportunities.

•      Industrial leasing is gaining momentum.

•      A flight to quality still defines office demand.

•      Smart value‑add strategies can restore positive leverage in certain sectors.

•      In industrial & logistics, infrastructure, power and relationships are key.

•      San Diego’s economic diversity lessens volatility.

Secondary investments and recapitalizations help investors find opportunity in uncertain markets. Brookfield’s Chris Reilly and CBRE's Matt White break down what returns to expect, why disciplined leverage matters and how strong operators are winning right now.

·      Secondary investing lets investors buy into real estate deals midstream, with the benefit of first seeing real performance data.

·      Recapitalizations are increasing as billions of real estate debt is coming due and owners need fresh capital.

·      Keeping debt levels around 60% or less helps investors weather market downturns.

·      Brookfield targets 12%–14% net returns in its value-add funds.

·      Hands-on operating expertise matters more than financial engineering.

CBRE Global Head of Research Henry Chin discusses Q1 2026 investment performance and the prospects for the rest of the year. He opines on inflation, interest rates, resilient fundamentals, geopolitical uncertainty and key sectors to watch.

Under Armour’s Kathy Blessington shares the playbook for using real estate to support performance, culture and growth. From headquarters planning to retail and supply chain strategies to community engagement, Kathy explains how intentional, flexible spaces help global companies stay competitive and future-ready.

• Corporate real estate can be a powerful strategic asset, driving productivity, collaboration and business performance.
• Modern workplaces are shifting away from individual workstations to collaborative, brand-forward environments that better support how teams work today.
• A well-designed headquarters can support innovation, operations, sustainability and community engagement.
• Large, global portfolios require intentional design that balances brand consistency with flexibility across offices, retail and logistics space.
• Building flexibility into real estate portfolios allows companies to adapt more easily to hybrid work, new technologies and evolving business needs.

Retail’s recovery is real—and the best centers are winning through reinvention. Macerich CEO Jackson Hsieh and CBRE Retail Services Lead Todd Caruso discuss what it takes to create premier destinations today: complementary tenant mix, compelling anchors and using experience + technology to drive traffic and performance.

· Retail underwriting now hinges on a small set of KPIs that illuminate performance.

· Trade‑area analytics help focus capital on the right assets.

· Anchor tenant strategies and discipline about occupier selection translate into pricing power.

· Mobile data helps property owners maximize asset performance.

· Leasing velocity drives NOI growth.

More debt capital is available for commercial real estate investment. CBRE Investment Management’s Ty Gerschick and CBRE’s Tom Burns break down what’s happening across today’s debt markets, how borrowers can navigate a more competitive lending landscape and what capital availability means for real estate investment across property types and investment strategies.

·     The return of banks—particularly regional banks—has expanded financing options and increased competition across the financing landscape.

·     Higher‑for‑longer interest rates are shifting investor focus toward operational performance and sustainable cash flow rather than exit‑driven returns.

·     Lenders are underwriting selectively, with scrutiny of debt coverage, leverage, and asset fundamentals.

·     Capital is flowing back into debt funds, CMBS and preferred equity, though competition remains intense.

Retail real estate has emerged as an increasingly attractive asset class. LBX Investment’s Phil Block and CBRE’s Chris DeCouflé discuss the strategies driving today's returns and where the smart money is headed.

* Operational intensity is unlocking significant value.

* Adding multifamily or event spaces to traditional retail can enhance investment returns.

* Mispriced risk in retail presents opportunities for value-add and core strategies.

* Incorporating grocers strategically can boost open-air center value.

* Technology and data are crucial for underwriting retail real estate investments.

How did the largest office-to-residential conversion come about? Brian Steinwurtzel of GFP Real Estate offers an inside look at how lower Manhattan’s 25 Water Street, a struggling office tower that was transformed into more than 1,300 apartments. He discusses what this landmark project signals for urban resilience.

· The right acquisition price and bold design and amenity choices can turn challenged office assets into world‑class residential properties.

· Tax incentives can often be the deciding factor in whether a conversion is viable.

· Fast execution is essential for controlling risks and costs in today’s market.

· Office-to-residential conversions are highly bespoke, where building bones matter more than any rule-of-thumb formula.

· Great residential conversions are redefining downtowns, but their future hinges on policy, pricing and how the next market cycle unfolds.