Mayor Parker Signs Contested Philly Renter Protection Bills
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker signed two contentious renter‑protection bills on May 7, part of Councilmember Nicholas O’Rourke’s Safe Healthy Homes Act. The measures expand retaliation safeguards, impose penalties on repeat violators, provide rent‑relief when landlords lack proper licenses or delay repairs, and require a “good cause” justification for lease terminations, with proactive unit inspections. The legislation, approved by a veto‑proof 16‑1 council vote, will take effect on Nov. 1 after a compromise gave landlords adjustment time, though some owners continue to challenge the process in court.
SEC's Reporting Rule Change Could Have REITs Balancing Transparency With Convenience
The SEC has proposed allowing publicly traded companies, including REITs, to file semi‑annual reports instead of quarterly ones, a shift that could halve the frequency of mandatory disclosures. Proponents argue the change would lower compliance costs and encourage investors to...
Hudson Pacific Office Leasing Looking Up, But Big Loan Maturity Looms
Hudson Pacific Properties reported a narrower Q1 2026 net loss of $53.1 million, improving from the $74.7 million loss a year earlier, as office leasing picks up, especially in the Bay Area. The REIT signed over 500,000 SF of office space, with AI...
Soloviev To Pocket $526M In 9 W. 57th St. Refi
Stefan Soloviev has secured a $1.8 billion CMBS refinancing for the iconic 9 W. 57th St. tower, returning roughly $526 million in cash to the Soloviev Group. The five‑year loan replaces a $1.2 billion mortgage, adds $74 million for closing costs and landlord obligations, and carries a...
Westside Paper Scores Leasing Wins: The Atlanta Deal Sheet
Westside Paper’s adaptive‑reuse campus in Atlanta continues to attract tenants, highlighted by Packsize’s 33,000 SF office lease that brings the recent Westside leasing total to 70,000 SF. In the past 20 months, the 240,000 SF site has secured 180,000 SF of new leases, underscoring strong...
Following $3B Blackstone Buyout, QTS Founder Launches New Data Center Firm
Chad Williams, the founder of data‑center powerhouse QTS, has launched Quality Infratech Intelligence (QII) to develop gigawatt‑scale campuses that combine AI‑focused data centers with advanced manufacturing. Backed solely by his family office, Quality Growth Cos., QII will pursue non‑traditional sites...
Providence Sues Landlord, Alleging Algorithm Drove 44% Rent Hike In Violation Of City Ban
The city of Providence has sued Boston‑based Audubon Capital Partners, alleging the firm used an algorithmic pricing system to raise rents 44% at the 95 Lofts building, breaching the city’s May 2025 ban on AI‑driven rent setting. Tenants saw monthly rent...
CRE Title Firms Turn To AI To Fill Talent Gaps, Speed Transactions
The title insurance sector, responsible for clearing legal and financial clouds in real‑estate deals, is confronting a shrinking, aging workforce that fell 11% from its 2021 peak. To bridge the talent gap and accelerate transactions, firms are deploying artificial intelligence...
St. Regis Residences Developer: Affordability Isn't A Problem
Houston developer Satya broke ground on the 38‑story St. Regis Residences, the first all‑residential St. Regis tower in Texas. Nearly half of the 90 units, including all seven penthouses, are already presold, with prices ranging from $3 million to $14.5 million, setting a new...
White & Case Takes Nearly Entire Building In D.C. Office Relocation
White & Case signed a lease for 196,000 sq ft across 12 floors at Grosvenor’s 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, occupying roughly 94% of the building’s total 208,000 sq ft after renovation. The deal initiates a two‑year, $‑undisclosed overhaul that will replace windows, add a...
Proposal From Jefferson Students Envisions Market East As Car-Free, Graduate Residential Hub
Thomas Jefferson University students unveiled a proposal to transform Philadelphia’s Market East corridor into a pedestrian‑ and transit‑focused linear park capped by graduate student housing. The plan calls for eliminating private cars, planting 250 trees, and creating outdoor seating that...
'It Behaves Like A Capital City': Investors Keen To Put Money Into Manchester
Manchester is emerging as a UK regional powerhouse, offering capital‑city‑level office demand with a regional price discount. Investment volumes rose to £1.8 bn (≈$2.3 bn) in 2025, well above the 10‑year average of £1.2 bn (≈$1.5 bn). Pension giant Nest plans to double its...
Iran War Helps Drive Residential Investor Sentiment To 3-Year Low
Residential real‑estate investor sentiment fell to a three‑year low in Q1 2026, according to the RCN Capital/CJ Patrick Investor Sentiment Index. The dip was driven by the Iran war’s impact on oil and mortgage rates, a year‑over‑year decline in home sales,...
City Fines Bronx 'Worst Landlords' $31M, Pushes To Intervene In Foreclosure
New York City ordered Bronx landlords Karan Singh and Rajmattie Persaud to pay a $31 million judgment after accruing nearly 2,000 housing violations across Robert Fulton Terrace and Fordham Towers. The court froze $900 K of the owners' assets and appointed an...
Nvidia, Manufacturer To Build 3 U.S. Plants To Support Data Centers
Nvidia has teamed with Corning to construct three new manufacturing plants in North Carolina and Texas, aimed at scaling U.S. production of optical connectivity and fiber for data centers. The facilities will boost Corning's domestic capacity tenfold for connectivity equipment...
Dominus And Cheyne Capital Snag £250M Funding As Student Deals Hit £2.1B
Dominus and Cheyne Capital have secured a $317 million debt facility from Standard Chartered to convert the former 65 Fleet Street office block into a 875‑room student‑living development. The scheme will reserve 35% of rooms for affordable rents, include cultural spaces, and aim...
Tejon Ranch, Dedeaux Properties To Begin 510K SF Industrial Project
Tejon Ranch Co. and Dedeaux Properties are breaking ground on a 510,000‑square‑foot industrial warehouse at the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center in Kern County, with completion expected in early 2027. The building will offer 36‑foot clear heights, 100 dock‑high doors and...
Olema Pharmaceuticals Leases New South San Francisco HQ
Olema Pharmaceuticals signed a lease for 38,000 sq ft in South San Francisco, designating the space as its new corporate headquarters. The company will initially occupy 25,000 sq ft on the fourth floor, with a future 13,100 sq ft on the fifth floor, paying $12.3 million and $6.1 million...
LeFrak Buys Fort Lauderdale Apartments For $180M: The South Florida Deal Sheet
The LeFrak Organization acquired the Harbour at New River Apartments in Fort Lauderdale for $180 million, securing a $100 million loan from Northwestern Mutual to fund the purchase. The 337‑unit, 36‑story tower is subject to a deed restriction that prohibits any condo...
MetroNational Buys Luxury CityCentre Hotel From Midway
Houston developer MetroNational teamed with Ohio‑based Rockbridge to acquire The Moran Hotel CityCentre, a 244‑room luxury property that ranks among eight Michelin‑recommended hotels in the city. The joint venture adds a high‑end lifestyle hotel to MetroNational’s growing hospitality portfolio, which...
DuWest Realty, DBA Commercial Real Estate Announce Merger: The DFW Deal Sheet
DuWest Realty and DBA Commercial Real Estate have merged to form DuWest, a unified retail and land brokerage with 45 professionals and a portfolio covering over 500 properties and more than 10 million square feet across Texas. The new firm, led...
SMBC Scoops Up 200K SF For New HQ In Charlotte
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC) will sublease 200,000 square feet at 301 S. College St. as its second U.S. headquarters in Charlotte, moving from its current 500 E. Morehead St. office. The bank announced a $50.5 million investment and plans to...
Developers Want To Copy The Battery Atlanta Success Story. Experts Say It's Not As Easy As It Looks
The Atlanta Braves’ Battery Atlanta mixed‑use complex posted a record $97 million in revenue last year, a $30 million jump driven largely by $27 million of new rental income. The success has sparked interest from other sports franchises and universities eager to emulate...
Software Firm Found Liable For Fraud Lists 189K SF Broward Office
Chetu Inc., a global custom‑software developer, is marketing its 189,000 SF Sunrise office building after a 2021 $25 million purchase. The property, listed at about $30 per square foot on a triple‑net lease, currently has a single 36,000 SF floor occupied while the...
Tenants Gain Even More Power In Bay Area Lab Market
Life‑science lab space in the Bay Area entered Q1 2026 with a net loss of 453,000 square feet, pushing vacancy to 29% and driving base asking rents down 9% year‑over‑year to $5.57 per square foot. Sublease inventory swelled to 2.1 million...
Wall Street Celebrates Big Tech's AI Growth, But Concerns Bubble Under The Surface
Wall Street hailed the first‑quarter earnings of Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta as proof that massive AI‑related spending is finally paying off, with cloud revenues surging 35% year‑over‑year and AI‑specific services exploding. The four firms collectively invested $130 billion in AI‑focused...
FIRST DRAFT LIVE: Newmark Capital Markets Head Chad Lavender Says CRE Debt Markets 'Almost Insatiable'
Newmark’s capital‑markets head Chad Lavender told Bisnow’s First Draft Live that commercial‑real‑estate (CRE) debt markets remain "almost insatiable" despite a stagnant Federal Reserve rate policy and lingering global uncertainty. He highlighted $378 billion of dry‑powder capital ready for deployment, noting that...
DFW Build-To-Rent Absorption Surges As National Market Slows
Dallas‑Fort Worth has become the nation’s No. 2 build‑to‑rent (BTR) market, absorbing over 4,000 units in 2025 while vacancy slipped to 6.3%. The region’s average BTR rent sits at $2,130—about $600 above standard apartments and $900 below a median mortgage payment—showcasing...
Apply, Lie, Move In: AI Is Making Rent Fraud Easier
Landlords are facing a surge in AI‑generated rental fraud, with scammers easily producing fake pay stubs, IDs and bank statements. The FBI estimated online real‑estate fraud cost about $275 million in 2025, while each fraudulent application costs roughly $15 K to resolve....
Canadian Investor In Talks To Buy £675M UK Student Portfolio
Canadian pension fund La Caisse is in advanced talks to acquire a nine‑asset UK student‑accommodation portfolio for £675 million (approximately $857 million). The assets, originally bought by DWS from Vita for £600 million in 2019, comprise 3,200 beds across Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds...
Blackstone's QTS Files Appeal To Save Massive Virginia Data Center Campus
Blackstone's data‑center arm QTS filed a last‑minute appeal to overturn a Virginia Court of Appeals ruling that blocked the rezoning of its 2,100‑acre PW Digital Gateway project in Prince William County. The appeal, lodged just under three hours before the...
Spirit Airlines' Impending Shutdown Puts $250M Broward HQ In Limbo
Spirit Airlines, long mired in Chapter 11, is preparing to cease operations, leaving its $275 M Dania Beach headquarters—opened in 2024—potentially vacant. The airline’s $500 M bailout proposal from the Trump administration collapsed, and a March restructuring deal fell apart amid soaring jet‑fuel costs....
Signorelli Co. Starts Final Phase Of Valley Ranch: The Houston Deal Sheet
Signorelli Co. broke ground on the Azalea District, the final single‑family expansion of the 1,400‑acre Valley Ranch master‑planned community in New Caney. The 328‑acre project will deliver 359 homes on 203 residential acres, with an adjacent 125‑acre parcel earmarked for healthcare‑focused...
What A Hyperscaler Wants From UK Data Centres
Google’s UK lead highlighted that power‑connection delays and high electricity costs are the biggest obstacles to attracting hyperscale data‑centre operators. The company recently opened a £800 million (~$1 billion) facility in Waltham Cross, backed by a 100‑megawatt offshore wind PPA, but noted grid‑connection...
Cushman & Wakefield Taps JLL Exec To Chair Occupier Services Unit
Cushman & Wakefield has rehired veteran Tom Maloney from JLL to chair its occupier advisory services unit. Maloney, who originally joined Cushman in 1992, will lead strategy, business development and executive client support across U.S. and global markets. The appointment...
191 Peachtree Loan Flagged Due To Dwindling Tenants And Revenue
Banyan Street Capital’s 191 Peachtree Tower, bought for $268 M in 2016, now faces a watch‑listed $80 M CMBS loan as occupancy slumped to 58% and cash flow fell more than 30%. The property’s net operating income dropped from $21.9 M to $14.1 M, and...
Inside The 'Innovative' Strategy Adding More Public Housing In Philly
Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has purchased over 1,700 market‑rate apartments in the past 18 months, aiming to acquire 4,000 units by October 2027. By paying $130,000‑$260,000 per unit—roughly a third of the $600,000 cost to construct new public housing—PHA creates immediate...
Gencom's Karim Alibhai Looks West After $1B East Coast Buying Spree
Gencom, a hospitality‑focused investment firm, has spent more than $1 billion acquiring five luxury hotels in New York and Miami over the past two years. Founder Karim Alibhai says the company is now eyeing distressed assets on the West Coast, especially in...
REPORT: Equity Residential, AvalonBay In Early Talks To Combine
Equity Residential and AvalonBay Communities, two of the nation’s largest multifamily REITs, have entered early‑stage talks about a possible merger. Both firms are valued at roughly $25 billion and together control more than 180,000 apartments across 11 states. The discussion follows...
LA Defies Critics With Wave Of New Apartment Construction
Developers kicked off more than 4,000 apartment units in Greater Los Angeles in Q1 2026, the highest start count since late‑2022 and roughly double the pace a year earlier. The surge contrasts sharply with a modest 20% rise in nationwide multifamily...
N.Y. AG Accuses Brooklyn Condo Developer Of Ignoring Subpoena
New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a petition accusing Brooklyn condo developers Louis Greco and Barry Leon of ignoring a subpoena and mismanaging the 475 Washington Ave. conversion project. Leon has failed to produce documents or testimony since...
Bucks County Medical Office Sells For $17M: The Philadelphia Deal Sheet
Cornerstone Cos., an Indianapolis‑based investor, acquired the 63,000‑square‑foot Stone Manor Medical Office Building in Warrington, Bucks County for $17.25 million. The property, built in 2007, is 93% occupied and hosts high‑profile tenants such as Fresenius Medical Care and a surgery center...
Healthcare Systems Vie To Keep Up With DFW's Growth While Remaining Flexible For The Future
Dallas‑Fort Worth’s northern suburbs are experiencing rapid population growth, positioning the metro area to overtake Chicago as the third‑largest U.S. metro by 2035. Healthcare systems such as Cook Children’s and Baylor Scott & White are expanding with megacampuses, micro‑hospitals, and flexible office spaces...
Bal Harbour Shops Owner To Pursue 2M SF Live Local Project After Village Rejects Settlement
Whitman Family Development, the owner of the Bal Harbour Shops, is moving forward with its original four‑tower, 2 million‑square‑foot Live Local project after the village council rejected a settlement that would have reduced the plan to 1 million square feet. The Live...
Iran War Hit To Dubai Condo Market 'Good For Miami,' Developers Say
Developers say recent Iran‑UAE drone strikes have chilled Dubai’s luxury condo market, prompting buyers to look toward Miami. While Dubai saw a 26% year‑over‑year sales surge early 2026, activity slowed after the conflict began. Miami’s condo closings rose 5.5% in...
How A New Platform Is Helping Service Providers Meet Modern Connectivity Expectations
Calix has introduced SmartMDU, an AI‑driven, cloud‑based Wi‑Fi solution built on the Calix One platform, aimed at service providers serving multifamily housing. The offering lets providers deploy Wi‑Fi 6 and Wi‑Fi 7 hardware across new, mid‑size and legacy buildings while giving each...
Atlanta, Fulton County Explore Buying Former CNN Center
Atlanta and Fulton County are weighing a joint purchase of the former CNN Center, now called The Center, for roughly $200 million. The Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority would fund the acquisition with tax‑exempt senior revenue bonds, while developer CP Group...
Leasing Slides For Alexandria Amid 'Very Tough Operating Environment'
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, the largest lab REIT, reported a sharp slowdown in Q1 2026 leasing, with space leased dropping from 1.2 million SF to 647 K SF and occupancy falling to 87.7%. Rental income fell roughly $100 million and rates declined 15%, prompting a...
California Transplant Buys Industrial Property For New HQ: The DFW Deal Sheet
Family‑owned Flannery Inc., a manufacturer of aluminum and steel trim, bought a 42,000 sq ft industrial flex building on just over 3 acres at 2525 Minnis Drive in Haltom City. The site, previously occupied by Sunair Products, offers 4,250 sq ft of high‑end office space, 11...
The 'Amazon Effect' Is Creating Instant Demand For Office Space
Houston brokers are witnessing an "Amazon Effect" in office leasing, where tenants seek 20,000‑square‑foot spaces ready for occupancy within a month. Average lease sizes have shrunk to about 3,800 SF from 6,000 SF pre‑COVID, driving demand for move‑in‑ready spec suites that typically...