Newsline

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to slow office-using employment growth by roughly 2.1 percentage points by 2030, creating a moderate headwind rather than a collapse in demand, according to Newmark. The firm recently released a report on AI’s impact on office jobs and demand, highlighting emerging demand tied to AI, cloud and data infrastructure, particularly in major tech and talent hubs.

Australia Post plans to sell approximately A$400 million ($277 million) of logistics assets through a sale-leaseback of seven properties across southeast Queensland, Sydney and Adelaide, in one of the largest industrial portfolio deals of the year, according to The Australian.

Industrial real estate has experienced a structural demand shift over the past 15 years, driven largely by the rise of ecommerce and changing supply chain needs, according to MetLife Investment Management.

American Real Estate Partners (AREP) and Harrison Street Asset Management (HSAM) have completed an office-to-residential conversion of CityHouse Old Town (CHOT), a luxury rental community featuring 199 residences in the heart of Old Town, Alexandria.

Transwestern has been appointed asset manager for KORE U.S. REIT, which holds a portfolio comprising 13 office properties totaling approximately 4.8 million square feet across eight markets with an aggregate asset value of approximately $1.3 billion.

AirTrunk, the data center operator acquired by Blackstone Inc. in 2024, is preparing for a potential Singapore REIT listing that could raise about $1.5 billion, according to media outlets.

Governance in commercial real estate joint ventures is becoming a greater focus as market conditions highlight differences between risk and control. Arun Singh, founder of SPE Specialists, discusses how those imbalances are embedded in legacy deal structures and why they have persisted. He outlines where passive investors lose influence, particularly in distress scenarios, and how existing governance tools from the debt markets could be applied to equity structures. Singh also highlights what changes may emerge from this cycle and whether the market will adopt more durable protections going forward.

Innovation is playing out across a more diverse global map than ever before, but a critical shortage of premium, investment-grade real estate is creating a new competitive frontier where quality of place – not just the city – is paramount, according to a new report from JLL. The fourth edition of JLL’s Innovation Geographies report reveals the severity of this supply-demand imbalance.

Leasing activity in the first quarter of 2026 reflected continued occupier demand for high-quality office space, with total volume reaching 8.5 million square feet and net absorption of 1.5 million square feet, according to JLL in its April market snapshot.

Andrew Chung has joined Extell Development Co. as president and co-CEO, partnering with Gary Barnett, Extell’s founder, chairman and CEO.

Newmark Group has arranged the $210 million sale of the retail component of Miami Worldcenter, a newly constructed urban lifestyle center located at the epicenter of downtown Miami’s transformative mixed-use district. The sale marks the largest non-mall retail transaction recorded in south Florida since 2017.

MetLife Investment Management (MIM) has named Andrea Drasites as global head of real estate and agricultural finance.

3650 Capital has provided approximately $104 million in capital to Respark Residential and LaTerra Capital Management for the acquisition of a seven-property, 1,495-unit multifamily portfolio in and around the greater Chicago region from Aimco.

Noble Investment Group announced the promotion of seven professionals across its asset management, design and development, capital markets and client solutions teams, reflecting the deliberate talent architecture behind a platform built to compound value across cycles through the depth, discipline and continuity of its people.

Greystar has held a final close for its Greystar Essential Housing Fund (GEHF), securing approximately $655 million in capital commitments as of March 2026.

Accor has signed a memorandum of understanding to sell its 30.56 percent stake in Essendi, formerly AccorInvest, to a consortium comprised of Blackstone and Colony Investment Management for up to €975 million ($1.12 billion).

LandBridge Co. has entered into a lease development agreement with PowerBridge providing the option to lease up to approximately 3,400 acres in Reeves County, Texas.

The Firemen’s Annuity & Benefit Fund of Chicago is searching for qualified investment advisers to manage a non-core real estate mandate, according to a Linkedin post by Callan.

Rockpoint and Highgate have sold Home2 Suites by Hilton Lake Mary in Orlando. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. 

Dalfen Industrial acquired a 19-property, 1.38 million-square-foot U.S. industrial portfolio across Dallas, Chicago, Indianapolis and Cincinnati.