Laurence Ross is a managing principal at
Highcap Group, New York, N.Y.
What are your predictions for commercial real estate in the new decade?
While there has definitely been an increase in activity as investors poke their head out of their sand, there is still more pain to be felt, almost a calm before the storm so to speak. That said, there are definitely some buying opportunities in the current market as multiples decrease and cap rates increase. Brokers need to drill down and continue to network in order to find those hidden gems. It is all about the financing as lenders continue to maintain a conservative position which will not change anytime in the near future. Going forward this should restore some stability back into the marketplace. The good thing is that we real estate people suffer from short-term memory.