Nick Pipitone

Building affordable housing has always been challenging, but it may be even more complicated in today’s market. More public subsidies to close the financing gap in affordable housing projects would go a long way in solving the problem.

Microgrids offer a resilient energy solution for commercial properties amid rising costs, sustainability pressures, and frequent outages. With government incentives and tech advances, microgrids empower buildings to manage energy sustainably, reduce grid dependence, and improve disaster readiness. This customizable, efficient alternative to centralized power is shaping a greener future for real estate.

As the housing crisis deepens nationwide, evictions have surged in many cities past pre-pandemic levels. New laws are emerging in many states that seal certain eviction court filings, affecting tenant screening processes for some landlords.

Artificial intelligence may soon transform commercial real estate legal work. AI offers speed and accuracy for high-stakes transactions, from automating contract reviews to ensuring compliance. With human oversight, AI could reshape legal processes, reduce costs, and support growth in a competitive market, though adoption is low for now.

While geofencing is not new, more traditional retailers are perfecting it to stay competitive with online retail giants like Amazon. New geofencing techniques have been adopted to power in-store navigation and provide other pivotal benefits for brick-and-mortar stores that continue to adapt to the digital-first retail industry landscape.

Multifamily companies are embracing centralization to streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve resident satisfaction. Centralized leasing, maintenance, and marketing drive efficiency and empower onsite teams to focus on service. While centralization comes with challenges, leading firms like AvalonBay and Equity Residential are setting the pace.

The multifamily industry has closely watched the litigation against RealPage for the past few years. As the industry decides how to react, some legal experts say the cases against RealPage may not be as strong as some believe. In the meantime, some states and local governments are taking matters into their own hands and banning revenue management software.

The debate over rent control continues to gain attention, driven by recent political shifts, ballot measures, and concerns within the multifamily industry. From the defeat of California's Proposition 33 to local rent control victories and Florida's new housing laws, this issue is shaped by a complex mix of factors impacting housing affordability and policy.

Many said Donald Trump was light on housing policy details on the campaign trail, but it didn’t dissuade voters. Now that Trump is poised to return to the White House, the housing industry is preparing for the President-elect’s policies. They include higher tariffs, opening up more federal land for housing development, and significant changes to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The incoming Trump administration has proposed strict immigration policies that could significantly impact the construction industry. The industry relies heavily on immigrant labor and suffers from a notable shortage of native-born workers, so policies such as mass deportations could potentially have a substantial impact.