Behind the Numbers

November 6, 2024 - The CRE sector has weathered political changes over the past two decades, thriving under the leadership of both parties. Kevin Thorpe reiterates the true drivers of property performance—economic fundamentals like GDP growth, interest rates and market dynamics.

November 1, 2024 - Businesses are increasingly upgrading to premium office spaces, driven by factors like enhanced employee satisfaction. Robert Sammons covers this trend in the context of San Francisco’s direct vacancy rate for Class A Tier 1 trophy assets in this episode of Behind the Numbers.

October 30, 2024 - 84% of markets are currently underpriced, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s Q3 Fair Value Index as featured in the European Investment Atlas—the logistics sector leads this trend at 95%. In this week’s "Behind the Numbers," Sukhdeep Dhillon explores how investors can leverage favorable market dynamics heading into 2025.

October 24, 2024 - In September, China released a stimulus package including interest rate cuts and a reduced reserve requirement ratio, with the goal of addressing national economic slowdown. In this week’s Behind the Numbers, Shaun Brodie discusses the potential impact on China’s commercial real estate sector.

October 17, 2024 - As interest rates come in, debt risk spreads remain tight and neutral-to-positive leverage conditions have returned; this marks a key milestone that will help catalyze capital markets momentum ahead. Listen in to this week’s Behind the Numbers and review real-time debt metrics from Cushman and Wakefield’s Equity, Debt, and Structured Finance team for more insight into changing capital markets conditions.

October 10, 2024 - Soft leasing demand and an influx of new space has put upward pressure on vacancy rates across most U.S. life sciences markets. However, the forecast shows upside for both occupiers and investors, as Sandy Romero describes in our latest video and Life Sciences Update report.

October 3, 2024 - With investment volumes up and interest rate cuts ahead, we could be seeing a 2025 defined by stabilization and recovery for Australian commercial property. Find out more in this week’s Behind The Numbers, and then dive into detail in our Glide Path report.

September 26, 2024 – Walkable Urban Places (WalkUPs), and downtowns specifically, contribute above their weight when it comes to GDP and property tax revenue production. That's why combatting the early signs of doom loops couldn't be more important. In this week's Behind The Numbers, Rebecca Rockey gives a sneak peek into our findings from Reimagining Cities: Disrupting the Urban Doom Loop.

September 18, 2024 - The vote to cut interest rates by 50 basis points by the U.S. Federal Reserve signals better days ahead for the commercial real estate sector. In this week’s Behind the Numbers, Kevin Thorpe explains why.

August 28, 2024 - Chinese consumer expectations are shifting, and retailers need to evolve to meet them where they are. That’s the focus of this week’s Behind The Numbers, in which Shaun Brodie looks into the five core areas of focus for the Chinese retail sector.

August 15, 2024 - This week's Behind the Numbers looks at three key metrics which tell the story of the strength of the Midwest's economy, and what that growth means for the multifamily sector.

August 9, 2024 - In a breaking news edition of Behind the Numbers, Kevin Thorpe explains the connection between stock market turmoil, decision making at the Fed, and a positive story for commercial real estate. 

July 31, 2024 - In 2023, office workers experienced a notable 14-point decline in their ability to perform at their best, marking the first significant drop since 2019. Join Linsey Smith in this episode and explore how stress, turnover, and flexible work arrangements are contributing to this productivity shift and what companies can do to address these challenges effectively.

July 24, 2024 - Discover the future of living in Europe with Tom McCabe, as he reveals the critical factors shaping our housing landscape. From demographic shifts to urbanization trends, explore our latest insights and forecasts in our European Living Revolution Report.

July 17, 2024 - Discover the resilience of the U.S. industrial market in our latest episode. Q2 net absorption was two times higher than the previous quarter, as over 46 msf was absorbed across the US, highlighting healthy market dynamics. Join Jason Price, as he delves into the nuances of absorption trends, submarket performances, and future projections.

July 11, 2024 - Dive into the evolving landscape of China's life sciences industry with Shaun Brodie, as he reveals the key number driving its growth: 9.5%. From policy shifts to demographic trends, discover why this sector is poised for significant expansion. 

July 3, 2024 - 70.9 million Americans are hitting the road and skies this holiday. But what's that got to do with CRE? Join James Bohnaker in this week's episode to find out more. 

July 2, 2024 – Discover the factors behind the $7.7B in YTD 2024 medical office transactions - a doubling of last year's H1 numbers. Join Jacob Albers in this week's episode to hear more about how healthcare assets are navigating economic challenges with continued rent growth, high occupancy rates, and growing capital markets activity.

June 25, 2024 – Join Guilherme Neves in this week's episode, as he discusses the latest insights on commercial real estate pricing and breaks down the Fair Value Index score of 81, signaling a pivotal turning point across markets. For a more comprehensive analysis, please read our European Fair Value Index report.

June 21, 2024 - Join John McWilliams in this week's episode, as he discusses the growing prevalence of AI in law firms and how these firms are currently leveraging the technology.

June 13, 2024 – Join Rebecca Rockey in this episode, as she reveals two important stats for 2025. Discover how these forecasts will shape the economic landscape and property markets, paving the way for dynamic shifts and capital market momentum. For a more in depth analysis, download our Midyear 2024 Outlook Report.

June 13, 2024 - Join Sukhdeep Dhillon as she unveils Europe's commercial real estate investment landscape. Despite cautious investor sentiment, signs of stabilisation emerge, hinting at a transformative year ahead for commercial real estate. Explore the opportunities and challenges shaping the market's transition phase in our latest European Macro Outlook Report.

With a 25-point adjustment, the European Central Bank subtly recalibrates its monetary strategy. The commercial real estate sector braces for a shift in dynamics, poised for heightened activity and evolving valuations in a post-GFC era of rate adjustments. Join Sukhdeep Dhillon in this week's episode to find out more.

May 30, 2024 - Discover why 35% of total investments in Asia Pacific are in office assets. Join Catherine Chen as she delves into the resilience and growth drivers shaping Asia Pacific's office sector. From tight vacancies to high-growth markets, explore the opportunities in this dynamic landscape.

May 22, 2024 - Join Sandy Romero as she reveals the latest insights on industrial construction costs and explores what construction trends across all commercial real estate sectors mean for occupiers and investors.

May 16, 2024 - In this timely episode, Kevin Thorpe shares his insights on the latest CPI report, revealing encouraging signs of inflation cooling off. Discover how these insights shape the potential for a Fed rate cut and a stronger commercial real estate market ahead. 

May 16, 2024 - Join Sally Bruer in this week's episode, as she provides insight into the world of European luxury retail. Discover why prime retail spaces are in high demand and how luxury retailers are reshaping the market.

May 9, 2024 - Learn about the intricacies of the euro area’s economic landscape with Sukhdeep Dhillon, as she analyzes the recent inflation data and what that means for the ECB’s eagerly awaiting move to cut rates in June. Further discover how this move could shape the commercial real estate sector and more in her recent instant insight.

May 2, 2024 - Join Shaun Brodie in this week's episode, as he dives into the emerging world of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Greater China. Discover how BESS is revolutionizing power distribution in cities like Shanghai, and why China's BESS market is set for exponential growth. 

April 25, 2024 - Our latest video with Sam Tenenbaum reveals the multifamily market's surprising resilience, with a mere 8 basis points, quarter-over-quarter, increase in the stabilized vacancy rate. Robust demand has kept rent growth positive, even as new supply continues to pepper the market.

April 18, 2024 - Our latest MarketBeat report reveals new industrial leasing activity during the first quarter of 2024 surpassed pre-pandemic levels by 3%. Join Jason Price as he discusses some of our first quarter macro trends and what is driving leasing activity.

April 11, 2024 - The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its March Consumer Price Inflation report this week. Join Kevin Thorpe in this episode, as he shares his insights on why the Fed might still have room to maneuver even with the increase in inflation numbers.

April 10, 2024 - The number for this episode is 90 bps, which reflects the latest CMDS AAA spread over benchmark swap rates. CMBS credit spreads have tightened and are now back to pre-rate hike levels, an improvement which bodes well for CRE debt liquidity overall. In this video, Abby Corbett highlights some of the key perspectives that she sees as most important when forming an outlook on the debt markets ahead.

April 4, 2024 - Join Xian Yang in this episode as he breaks down the $16 billion that was invested into Southeast Asia property in 2023. From Singapore's retail surge to emerging markets' new economic assets, discover why Southeast Asia is becoming a hotspot for global investors.

March 27, 2024 - The Bank of Japan recently announced an increase in rates. Join Mari Kumagai in this week’s video as she discusses the 5.4% policy gap rate differential between Japan and the U.S. and the impacts on the CRE market, government debt, and the strength of the Japanese yen.

March 22, 2024 - The global average office fit-out cost is $134 per square foot. Join Dr. Dominic Brown in this episode to gain insights into the comparison with last year's figures and the underlying reasons driving this trend. 

March 14, 2024 - The U.S. industrial construction pipeline has declined by 34% year-over-year and is anticipated to contract further. Join Jason Price as he delves into the evolving landscape and its implications for new trends in size dynamics and market demand.

March 6, 2024 - The 10-year forecast for U.S. life sciences employment growth is 7.9%, which is nearly three times the forecast for overall employment. In this week’s video, Sandy Romero uncovers how this surge is reshaping the demand for lab space and driving construction trends in major markets. 

February 29, 2024 - Join John McWilliams to uncover how strong legal sector demand for office space has been and where that demand was concentrated.

February 23, 2024 – North American data centers experienced a staggering 22% surge over the past year, with record-low vacancies and high demand fueled by remote work and cloud migration. What is driving this breakneck demand? Find out more in this week’s Behind The Numbers video by Jacob Albers. 

February 15, 2024 - Join Suvishesh Valsan in this week's Behind The Numbers video, as he unveils how Global Capability Centers (GCCs) are reshaping India's office leasing landscape. With GCCs accounting for an impressive 22% of gross office leasing in 2023, an impressive 16 MSF, what implications does this hold for 2024? 

February 8, 2024 - The dynamics in Eurozone inflation has surprised many, resulting in increased expectations for more aggressive rate cuts by the ECB this year. What does this mean for the European real estate sector? Find out more in this Behind The Numbers video by Sukhdeep Dhillon.

February 6, 2024 - In this edition, Sandy Romero reveals the average cost to fit out an inline retail space in the US as $147 per square foot. From regional disparities to key expense areas, explore the factors shaping construction expenses and the implications for retail fit-outs in today's market.

January 29, 2024 - With the Fed expected to hold rates steady for the time being, we're revisiting Abby Corbett’s introduction to her section of the Macro Outlook 2024, which addresses the impact that both rate stability and greater acceptance of normalized rates will have on aligning buyer and seller expectations.

January 18, 2024 - In this year’s U.S. Outlook report, Sam Tenenbaum explores why, despite a coming wave of new supply, incentives towards home rental over ownership should help the multifamily market retain the momentum gained from a resilient 2023.

January 12, 2024 - With U.S. office occupiers expected to shrink their portfolios by only 2.9% this year, David Smith looks at why this could well be a sign of occupancy stabilization and even a return to growth in 2025.

January 4, 2024 - In his introduction to the “10 Critical Questions for 2024” report, Kevin Thorpe makes the case for how the cooling of wage growth, and the subsequent pivot of Fed policy, will be the trigger for momentum starting to form in the CRE sector.

December 21, 2024 - For the last episode of the year, Kevin Thorpe takes a look back at some of the key CRE trends of the year just gone, as well as looking ahead to the challenges and  areas of opportunity heading into 2024.

December 14, 2023 – With 93% national occupancy for medical office assets, and inventory growth rate hovering at only 1%, Jacob Albers explores the dynamics of U.S. healthcare real estate assets and the knock-on opportunities for investors.

December 8, 2023 – Despite the robust performance witnessed in 2023, there are many leading indicators flashing caution lights for the journey ahead. With a rolling recession already underway in certain segments of the U.S. economy, Rebecca Rockey gives her insights into what 2024 will hold for investors and occupiers alike.

December 4, 2023 – Over the past three years, CRE alternatives or niche sectors have accounted for 13% of overall transaction volume, totaling 289 billion. Despite recent challenges to liquidity, these sectors remain resilient due to several factors explored in this video by Jacob Albers.

November 22, 2023 - In our latest edition of the annual Main Streets Around The World, we examine the resilience of the retail sector across global markets. Here, Head of International Research, Dr. Dominic Brown, provides his sneak peak into one of the report’s key talking points.

November 10, 2023 - Severe climate events in the U.S. have led to a 27.6% increase per square foot in the cost of commercial real estate property insurance. The impact on insurers and occupiers alike is a complex picture, explored in this C&W: Behind The Numbers video by James Bohnaker.

November 3, 2023 - It's easy to get caught up in the dizzying volatility of this high-yield environment. However, keeping a view on the bigger picture implications for the CRE debt and capital markets is key. Find out more with Abby Corbett.

October 26, 2023 – Jacob Albers summarizes the impact and opportunity of the emerging blended travel trend for hospitality operators and investors in our latest Behind The Numbers episode.

October 20, 2023 - U.S. multifamily construction starts are down 60% in the third quarter compared to last year. Sam Tenenbaum looks at the impact of this strong signal for eventual occupancy recovery and rental acceleration..