Katten’s Dan Huffenus (right) moderated seven industry specialists who discussed real estate trends and issues facing the region. (Photo Credit: Nancy Pierce)
Katten and Cushman & Wakefield recently hosted the 13th Annual Outlook on Commercial Real Estate Market, bringing together a slate of industry experts and more than 400 members of the Charlotte business community to examine the economy’s impact on regional development and emerging trends for the year ahead.
“When we started this event 13 years ago the industry perspective on development in this region was there’s nowhere to go but up,” said Dan Huffenus, event moderator and managing partner of Katten’s Charlotte office.“Today, we find ourselves at an all-time high. This diverse group of talented leaders really provided an informative and candid discussion about how to keep the momentum going.”
Cushman & Wakefield’s David C. Smith, Americas head of occupier research, was the keynote speaker for the event held earlier this month in uptown Charlotte. Smith offered an in-depth look at why the 2010s will go down as one of the most transformational decades in the history of Charlotte. He also pointed to strong industrial absorption and strong family demand in the Charlotte area as a continued driver of development, but cautioned that it’s becoming harder and harder to find space in the markets. Smith also said that a growing economy where an experience is provided for employees has propelled the market to offer buildings with high-end amenities that result in larger rents—and that demand for flexibility and versatility in how spaces are used for arrangements like coworking is going to continue to grow.
David Smith, Americas Head of Occupier Research for Cushman & Wakefield, (left) before he addressed the crowd of 400 attendees. Smith is joined by Dan Huffenus, event host and Katten Charlotte managing partner; Brett Gray, event host and Cushman & Wakefield Charlotte managing principal; and Barrett Mallos, Katten partner. (Photo Credit: Nancy Pierce)
Smith’s presentation was followed by a panel discussion consisting of several of the industry’s leading real estate authorities: Bryan Blythe, Vice President, Market Leader, Liberty Property Trust; Tracy Dodson, Assistant City Manager, City of Charlotte; Jack Gay, Global Head of Commercial Real Estate Debt, Nuveen; Matthew Knisely, Managing Director, Investment Group East, Shorenstein; Stuart Proffitt, Managing Principal, Proffitt Dixon Partners and Rex Rudy, Executive Vice President, Division Head of Commercial Real Estate, U.S. Bank.Together theyrecapped the positive story of Charlotte’s real estate development and discussed the impact of a variety of issues and trends facing the industry such as rising construction costs, opportunity zones and artificial intelligence. The group also examined one of the biggest changes in the industry to date—how tenants think about and utilize space.
A seven-member panel examines the economy’s impact on regional real estate trends during the 13th Annual Outlook on the Commercial Real Estate Market.(Photo Credit: Nancy Pierce)
“We were proud to again sponsor the Outlook on the Commercial Real Estate Market with Katten,” said Brett Gray, event host and Cushman & Wakefield Charlotte Managing Principal. “This was a compelling event for a dynamic market.”
The free 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. All attendees were encouraged to donate to Hospitality House in lieu of paying to attend the event.
