The U.S. retail sector continues to demonstrate exceptional resilience and adaptability, with leading markets and segments outperforming expectations even in a dynamic economic environment, according to Newmark
“At $5.9 billion in volume through the first three quarters, we expect 2025 to be a solid year for this type of transaction, likely surpassing the $8.1 billion in big-ticket volume in 2022, making it the highest in big-ticket volume since the $9.5 billion posted in 2019,” said Brandon Isner, head of retail research at Newmark.
Retail absorption returned to net positive territory in the third quarter of 2025, an unexpected but encouraging sign. Although leasing activity remains subdued, a robust signed-not-open (SNO) pipeline from REITs is driving move-ins and is expected to support occupancy gains through 2026. However, an oversupply of obsolete retail space continues to limit rent growth, with average asking rents declining both quarter-over-quarter and yea
