Sarajian of Standard & Poors speaks at recent NYCREW event

NYCREW Network's Summer Breakfast Briefings, featuring "Leading Ladies of Commercial Real Estate," continued recently with Lisa Sarajian, senior REIT analyst for Standard & Poor's. Sarajian discussed the effect of current market conditions on the REIT industry, as well as the impact of that sector on Wall Street overall. She also discussed many of the factors impacting both the REIT market, and market conditions generally, including the upcoming maturity dates of much of the sector's debt. Observing that, while the 12-month outlook for REITs is somber, Sarajian said this should be tempered by some cautious optimism, as the recent repositioning and shedding by many REITs of non-core assets, should result in enhanced financial soundness and stability. This may contribute to a more positive perception of the overall market. In fact, Sarajian believes that. "REIT equities can be something of a leading indicator of market trends." This Summer's Breakfast Briefings are sponsored by Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, a firm with global reach throughout the Americas, Asia and the Middle East, serving the legal, business and public interest needs of many of the world's best-known and most respected businesses, nonprofits and individuals.