Recovery ahead
Until recently, transaction volumes were expected to end 2024 at a slow jog due to the lingering drag of higher interest rates. But mounting evidence of easing inflation and economic conditions provoked sharp declines in US Treasury yields and elevated expectations of imminent fed fund rate cuts. That’s driving confidence in a real estate recovery with transaction activity re-accelerating either late this year or in early 2025, and that the start of a new real estate value cycle is close at hand.
Need for property income growth
This new real estate value cycle, however, is expected to benefit less from cap rate compression compared to previous recoveries. Near-term economic growth is expected to ease, and current pricing largely reflects different sector expectations for income growth and liquidity. This accentuates the need for property income growth and reliance on secular demand drivers that can mitigate the easing of the economic cycle. It also may elevate the need to seek differentiated performance through market selection because of the large historical gap between top- and bottom-performing markets.
Presidential election
As the November US presidential election approaches, the candidate’s policy differences will undoubtedly provoke speculation about which is best for real estate. While we’re focused on the potential impacts of the US presidential election, we believe that differences in state and local policies impact real estate investment more directly. Plus, the current trajectory of inflation, economic growth, interest rates, and real estate conditions provide more actionable information for investment decisions.
Get a deep dive into the key takeaways from our US cpmmercial real estate outlook.