When people talk about commercial real estate, they often think of it as a steady business dominated by the five major food groups: multifamily, office, retail, industrial and hospitality. Its supposedly a simple, straightforward sector. Its an asset class that delivers income and some appreciation in property values. And its an overall safe investment. Yet beneath the surface, the industry is transforming in many ways. Players rise and fall. New tactics emerge. The use of technology can affect funding and financing. In other words, there are always disruptions taking place. Here we profile 10 disrupters (actually 11, since one profile is of the two principals of one firm).hese disrupters include some familiar names and some new ones. They underscore key trendsurbanization of retail, crowdfunding, microapartments and the reemergence of CMBS, to name a few.
read more