Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP and Cushman & Wakefield hosted thought leaders to discuss real estate issues facing the industry in the year ahead. The 12th Annual Outlook on the Commercial Real Estate Market brought together nearly 400 members of the Charlotte business community last Thursday to examine the economy’s impact on regional real estate trends.
“There are a lot of diverging opinions about what’s going on in commercial real estate right now, and our robust line-up of industry leaders provided a very informative and candid discussion about what’s impacting the market across the office, multi-family, industrial and retail sectors,” said Dan Huffenus, event host and Katten’s Charlotte managing partner and Real Estate practice head.
Katten partners (from left) Barrett Mallos, Karen Nelson, Frank Arado, Amanda Christie, Richard Farley and Dan Huffenus kick-off the 12th Annual Outlook on the Commercial Real Estate Market, sponsored by Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP and Cushman & Wakefield on Thursday, January 10 in Uptown Charlotte. (Photo Credit: Nancy Pierce)
Cushman & Wakefield’s Revathi Greenwood, Americas head of research, and David Smith, senior director of occupier research for the Americas, were keynote speakers for the event. Greenwood offered an in-depth look at why Charlotte outperforms the United States in economic expansion and how labor and talent continue to keep the Queen City a very attractive market for growth in fintech and opportunity zone funds. Smith highlighted the impact of coworking on urban cities and urban-style suburbs and what kind of changes to expect when large generations of baby boomers exit the workforce.
Brett Gray, event host and Cushman & Wakefield Charlotte managing principal, takes a moment with keynote speakers Revathi Greenwood and David Smith before the event. (Photo Credit: Nancy Pierce)
The Cushman presentation was followed by a panel discussion featuring several of the region’s leading real estate experts: Michael Cohen, head of Southeast and Mid Atlantic originations at Citigroup; John Gray, managing director at LMC Investments; Chris McGibbon, head of Americas at Nuveen; Chris Nelson, managing director at Goldman Sachs & Co.; Brian Purcell, managing director at Asana Partners; and Britt Winterer, managing director and head of U.S. development at Gramercy. Together they provided forward-thinking insights about everything from the profitability of urbanized street retail and jewel-box office buildings to how geography impacts rental houses and apartment buildings. The group also examined the growth of the industrial sector and opportunity zone investing.
Katten’s Dan Huffenus (third from left) moderated eight industry specialists who discussed real estate trends and issues facing the region. (Photo Credit: Nancy Pierce)
“We were proud to again sponsor the Commercial Real Estate Outlook with Katten. For more than a decade, this event has offered unparalleled insight into our growing, evolving market and all the opportunities it presents. Keynote speakers Revathi and David are among the leading minds in our industry, and they were joined by a powerhouse panel that gave us both a big-picture and granular view of the factors affecting owners and occupiers of Charlotte commercial real estate and the broader economy and region as a whole,” said Brett Gray, event host and Cushman & Wakefield Charlotte managing principal.
The event also served as a fundraiser for Hospitality House of Charlotte, which provides the comforts of home for families of seriously ill loved ones by offering affordable accommodations in the heart of Charlotte’s medical community.
