In my dream, it is a beautiful spring day in 2032. Graduation ceremonies are taking place at colleges, trade and secondary schools across the country. Commencement speakers are presenting laudatory reviews of the economic miracle that the urban places of America had wrung from the opportunities of the economic outfall of the worldwide recession that started early in the 21st century. The speakers reminded audiences, which included many who were too young to remember those grim days, that the great recession of 2007 was caused by urban land and building price escalations in the fastest-growing regions of the country, which were exacerbated and spread across the country by nationwide imprudent lending policies.

Commercial real estate investors are loving apartments. In this article, we assess the potential for this love affair to endure.

When considering a new investment relationship, investors typically begin with the investment strategy. And substantial attention is given to other areas such as governance, fee structure, sourcing capabilities, reputation, track record and the like.

The 2012 Spring Editorial Advisory Board meeting of The Institutional Real Estate Letter – North Americaconvened in mid-April in Laguna Beach, Calif., at The Montage Resort, where members gathered to discuss the challenges and opportunities in today’s institutional real estate investment marketplace. Attendees at the meeting included 33 investors (pension funds, endowments, foundations, life companies), 38 representatives from the publication’s sponsor firms (primarily investment managers), 12 consultants, eight Institutional Real Estate, Inc. staff members and three guests.