The sweeping effects of COVID-19 have touched every property market in commercial real estate, causing developers to adapt and construction activity to slow. Assets such as healthcare facilities, malls, hotels, physical retail and student housing have been hit particularly hard, while properties such as industrial facilities, data centers and self-storage facilities have exhibited strong fundamentals. While the long-term effects of the pandemic are still playing out, some industry participants say it has already begun to accelerate trends that were already in place and also create new ones, resulting in what could be a whole new ballgame for the commercial real estate market.
The fluctuation of different property sectors has caused a shift in how investors are structuring their portfolios, affecting the nature and pace of new developments. Numerous reports point to the fact that development activity has slowed noticeably due to government mandated work shutdowns and disruptio
