The COMMERCIAL LEADERSHIP FORUM spotlighted a panel discussion on “Emerging Trends in Commercial Real Estate.” Key takeaways included: 1) The permanent shift towards experiential retail with a clear focus on experiencing a brand’s culture and community, as well as testing and touching products before buying them; 2) the rise of shared office spaces stemming from new work habits which have created a market for office space which isn’t owned by an employer, but that workers can rent or subscribe to as members; 3) the importance of predictive investment analytics has created greater access to data and data tools that can help practitioners track with and get ahead of markets trends; 4) the increasing need to focus on more responsible and effective land use as it becomes an increasingly precious commodity; 5) the rise of automation in the transportation industry which is driving a need for nimbler supply chains connecting scalable manufacturing spaces and warehouses in the industrial sector.
Additionally, Chair Ruggieri announced plans for NAR’s CRT Labs to create a new series of guidebooks on real estate technology topics, the first of which addresses best-practices for using plants to improve air quality in commercial properties such as offices and multi-unit buildings. The guides are designed to be used by REALTORS® or as a gift to clients.
The forum also featured a look at NAR’s REach® program, with introductions of three of its current class of companies, each with specific commercial real estate applications: Notarize, Occly, and TrustedMail. Learn more about these tools at www.narreach.com.