Today's Real Estate Investing Pulse

Housing Prices Slip 2.4% as Buyers Return, Pending Sales Rise 4.3%
Median list prices dropped 2.4% year‑over‑year to $429,500, the steepest decline since 2017. Pending sales climbed 4.3% YoY, extending a six‑month growth streak. New listings rose sharply in the Northeast (+8.6%) and Midwest (+4.7%) while remaining flat in the South.
Also developing:
M&A Surge Drives $28 B Wave of Commercial Real Estate Deals Amid Volatility
Investors completed $28 billion in commercial real‑estate mergers and acquisitions this quarter, a surge that underscores strong appetite for hard‑asset deals even as market conditions wobble. The activity, highlighted by CRE Daily using Bisnow data, signals confidence in core property types despite broader uncertainty.
Zillow and Redfin Forecast Stable Mortgage Rates Near 6.4% as Housing Activity Gains Momentum
Zillow and Redfin released forecasts that mortgage rates will stay near 6.4% and that housing‑market activity is accelerating. Zillow reported a 32% jump in daily page views per listing and a 4.6% year‑over‑year rise in newly pending homes, while Redfin...
Kore Power Targets Little Rock Port for Battery Gigafactory, Aiming to Create Up to 1,000 Jobs
Idaho‑based Kore Power is evaluating a former warehouse site on Zeuber Road at the Port of Little Rock for a new battery gigafactory that could generate 800 to 1,000 jobs. The project hinges on securing natural‑gas‑fueled power, a requirement the...

E-Commerce Giant Signs at Panattoni Park Crawley in Largest South East Leasing of the Year
Panattoni Park Crawley, a 200,000‑sq‑ft grade‑A logistics campus in the South East, has been fully leased to an e‑commerce retailer believed to be Amazon under a 10‑year agreement. The lease, the largest such transaction in the region this year, covers...

Prime London Housing Sales Plummet 41% Year on Year, LonRes Finds
London's prime housing market saw a sharp contraction in March, with transaction volume plunging 41% year‑on‑year, according to LonRes data. Average achieved sale prices fell 5.5% versus the previous year and 7.5% compared with the 2017‑19 March average. By contrast,...

45 Granite Bay ADU Comps Reveal Robust Market Data
Pulling comps for a property with an ADU. There are 45 data points here in Granite Bay with a listed ADU in MLS. These are sales since 2025 as well as current listings. Granted, some of these will be pool...
Bonus Season Goes Brick-and-Mortar: How Wall Street Pay Is Repricing US Property
Wall Street’s 2025 bonus pool surged to a record $49.2 bn, a 9% increase that lifted the average payout to $246,900. The windfall of liquidity is flowing into U.S. real estate, from trophy estates in the Hamptons—where sales topped $6.3 bn—to workforce‑housing...
Abacus Capital Scores $111M Refi on Danbury Apartments
Abacus Capital Group secured a $111.41 million refinancing loan for Abbey Lane Apartments, a 470‑unit Class A multifamily complex in Danbury, Connecticut. The loan was arranged by Newmark’s Multifamily Debt & Structured Finance team and funded by Fannie Mae. Abbey Lane offers...
East Bengaluru Unveils 12‑Acre ‘World of Gardens’ to Anchor Garden‑Led Living Trend
Trendsquares launched the 12‑acre World of Gardens community in East Bengaluru, featuring four themed garden environments. The project arrives as housing sales in India's top cities fell 14% in 2025, yet sales value rose 6% and 45% of buyers now...
IBT Group Wins $250K Federal Grant for $179M Pershing Terminal Redevelopment in Chicago
IBT Group was awarded a $250,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago’s Community First Developer Program to support paid internships and a senior fellow on its Pershing Terminal project. The $179 million redevelopment will turn the historic Quartermaster...
Non-Current CRE Loans Surge Across Construction, Office and Multifamily Sectors
Bank data show non-current commercial real estate loans climbing sharply in construction, office and multifamily portfolios, with regional gaps widening. The trend reflects higher rates, cost inflation and the end of pandemic rent support, warning investors and lenders of deeper...

Charlotte Studios Surge Fivefold Since Financial Crisis
Over the last half century, the *kind* of apartments we have built has changed Post GFC, developers have shifted towards building more, smaller units In the City of Charlotte (not metro) the SHARE % of new units built as Studios has gone...

Unlock Hidden CRE Strategy: Secure National Tenants Early
In this episode, Cherif Medawar breaks down one of the most overlooked commercial real estate strategies today, how to control deals, secure national tenants, and create massive upside before you even close. Tune in now: 📺 : https://youtu.be/DI2HYxsH6vc 🍏 : https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/raise-the-bar/id1543049208
Milwaukee's Stalled Edison Tower May Become Middle‑Income Apartments
Milwaukee Development Commissioner Lafayette Crump said the stalled 31‑story Edison luxury tower could be repurposed for middle‑income renters. The developer, Neutral, faces an $11.3 million unpaid‑bill lawsuit and a $25 million funding shortfall, prompting talks with new partners.

California Homeowners Still Locked Into Sub‑4% Mortgages
Everyone keeps talking about lock-in going away, saying the share of mortgage rates above 6% now exceeds those below 3%. Maybe in Alabama. In California, most still can't/won't move as evidenced by 34% of homeowners holding a rate between 3-3.99%...
Agree Realty Boosts Q2 Investment to $725M, Raises Full-Year Guidance to $1.6B
Agree Realty (ADC) announced a $725 million investment across three external growth platforms in Q2 2025 and lifted its full‑year investment guidance to $1.4‑$1.6 billion. The REIT also reported $2.3 billion in liquidity, a 1.3% rise in core FFO per share, and a 15%...
Basel III Proposal Could Boost CMBS Demand
The Federal Reserve, FDIC and OCC have re‑proposed Basel III capital rules that lower risk weights for commercial‑mortgage‑backed securities (CMBS). Senior positions will see the minimum risk weight drop from 20% to 15%, while overall CRE risk weights could fall to...

TBA Bidding, HELOC, DSCR, CRM, HMDA Analysis, MI Tools; Events Throughout 2026
Curinos’ proprietary index shows March 2026 funded mortgage volume jumped 35% year‑over‑year and 30% month‑over‑month, while refinance and purchase rates fell 5‑6 basis points month‑over‑month and about 73 basis points from a year ago. A modest market rally trimmed borrower...

Part 2: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for Mid-April 2026
The housing market entering mid‑April 2026 shows months‑of‑supply above pre‑pandemic levels while sales remain flat at 2025 volumes—the lowest annual pace since 1995. Prices are feeling downward pressure, especially where inventory is high, but widespread distressed sales are unlikely because...

Investment in European Serviced Apartments Hits €1.2bn as Demand Strengthens
Investment in European serviced apartments surged to €1.2 billion (≈$1.3 billion) this year, according to Savills. The sector’s demand growth is now outpacing the broader hotel market across key cities. Investors are attracted by higher yields and longer‑term leases, while developers scramble...

Mortgage Applications Plunge; Sellers Must Slash Prices
Mortgage applications to buy a house fell again. They're back down to an index level of 159, which is more than 50% below the pandemic peak in early 2021. Not only that - they're now declining year-over-year, reversing a slight positive trend...

US Homebuilder Depression Enters Second Year
The NAHB builder‑mood index fell to 34, a seven‑month low and the 24th straight month below the optimism threshold. The slump follows the Federal Reserve’s aggressive inflation‑fighting measures and is compounded by the Iran war, rising energy costs, and weak...

Sales Rise Thanks to $400‑500K Volume Surge
We have slightly more sales in 2026 compared to 2025 in the Sacramento region, and the x-factor has been higher volume between $400K to $500K this year. Why do you think we've seen more sales in this price bucket?

Boomers Own the Housing Market. Everyone Else Is Getting Priced Out
The National Association of REALTORS released its 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report, revealing that first‑time buyers fell to a record low of 21% of all home purchases. Baby Boomers dominate the market, making up 42% of buyers...

Builder Sentiment Posts Notable Decline on Economic Uncertainty
Builder confidence for new single‑family homes slipped to 34 in April, the lowest reading since September 2025, according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. The decline reflects persistent high mortgage rates, rising material costs tied to higher fuel prices, and...

Mortgage Activity Picks up for First Time in Five Weeks as Rates Fall
Mortgage demand in early April rose 1.8% after five weeks of decline, driven by a modest dip in 30‑year fixed rates to 6.42%. Refinance activity jumped 5% and now accounts for 45.5% of all applications, while purchase applications slipped 1%...

Winning in CRE Requires Off‑Market Access, Not Public Listings
Smart CRE investors don’t compete on listed deals. They win through access. • Off-market opportunities • Distress situations • Land and entitlement plays If you’re only looking at what’s public… you’re already late. #CommercialRealEstate #CREInvesting #CaliforniaCRE #RealEstateInvestors #InvestmentStrategy
Warehouse Automation Expands Real Estate Value as Adoption Accelerates, Notes Prologis Report
Prologis’ new report links rising warehouse automation to higher demand for well‑located, technology‑enabled logistics real estate. Automation now powers roughly 30% of U.S. warehouses, up from 20‑25% five years ago, and is projected to hit 50% by 2035. The study...

Self‑Storage Built for $2.4M Grows to $8M
We built this self storage facility in 2015. Opened the doors in 2017. All-in cost: $2.4 million. Acquired the property across the street for $500k a year later. It did over $100,000 of rev recently. It’s worth $8 million + today and we...
AI Price Advice Now Derailing Real‑estate Offers
Ok so this is a first for us: Broker gives us pricing guidance, we make an offer, and broker gets back to us. “The seller was happy with your offer. But ChatGPT told him it’s worth $2M more, so he’s going...
The Great Wall Just Got an Exit Gate: C-REITs to the Rescue
CapitaLand, the Singapore‑based property giant backed by Temasek, is using China’s nascent REIT market to exit its struggling Chinese real‑estate portfolio. After writing down S$545 million ($425 million) in 2023, the firm transferred assets into a listed Chinese REIT, the first international...
A Billionaire Beach Party: Mark Zuckerberg’s $170 Million Florida Purchase Tops March’s Most Expensive Home Sales
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan bought a waterfront estate on Indian Creek Island for $170 million, making it the most expensive U.S. home sale in March and the priciest ever in Miami‑Dade County. The purchase tops a list dominated by coastal...

Saudi Arabia’s Hotel Boom Has a Catch: Rates Are Falling Fast
Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector exploded in 2025, with licensed hotel facilities expanding 34.2% year‑over‑year. At the same time, average room rates slipped 11.7% between Q4 2024 and Q4 2025, even as occupancy and visitor numbers rose. Tourism already accounts for about 5%...
CBRE Forecasts 70,000 New Hotel Rooms in India by 2030, Market to Reach $31 Bn
CBRE’s latest outlook predicts Indian listed hotel operators will add more than 70,000 rooms by 2030, swelling the sector’s value to roughly $31 bn. The forecast follows a 2.5‑fold jump in 2025 deal activity and signals a shift toward premium, asset‑light...
Suntec Reit Eyes Injection of 9 Penang Road From Sponsor Into Portfolio
Suntec REIT’s new sponsor, Tang Organization, is evaluating the re‑injection of the 9 Penang Road office‑retail tower, a property the trust sold in 2021 for about S$89.9 million (≈$66.5 million). The REIT currently trades roughly 30% below its net asset value, though the discount...
Iran War Helped Freeze L.A.'s Housing Market. Some Hope Ceasefire Will Bring More Sales
The Iran‑War‑driven surge in mortgage rates pushed Los Angeles’ housing market into a deep freeze, with only 3,072 homes sold in January—the lowest monthly total in three years. Rates climbed to 6.46%, sidelining first‑time buyers and extending median listing times to...

GPE Reports Record Leasing Activity and £490m Disposals
GPE announced a record leasing year, driven by unusually strong demand for office space in Central London. The firm’s leasing activity eclipsed previous benchmarks, signaling renewed confidence among tenants despite broader market uncertainty. In parallel, GPE disposed of assets worth...
DBS Bank Seals Hong Kong’s Biggest Office Deal of 2024
DBS Bank (Hong Kong) has agreed to pay about HK$2.62 billion (US$334 million) for six floors at The Center, marking the city’s largest office transaction so far this year.
Demographics, Not Growth, Fuel Housing Demand; New Builds Lag
"Demographic change—not population growth—is the main driver of housing demand. And while the surge in new construction [in California] is welcome, it has not yet translated into meaningful relief for households struggling with high costs." https://t.co/SvBbqFg8yx
Merryn Talks Money: The Contrarian Case for London (Podcast)
Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek note that UK house prices have barely outpaced inflation over the last ten years, with London’s real‑price values actually declining. Guest Daniel Austin, CEO of ASK Partners, argues that despite high transaction costs and policy uncertainty, prime central‑London...

NYC Developers Exploit 99‑Unit Loophole, Merge Buildings
In 2024, NYC offered tax breaks & regulatory relief (labor regs, especially) for new apartment buildings with some "affordable housing" & fewer than 100 units. So, NYC developers built dozens of "99-unit" buildings & then... stitched them back together. LOL.

Q1 Sales Volume Up Only 0.3%, Essentially Flat
Sales volume is slightly ahead of last year. Technically, we could say it was the best first quarter of volume since 2022, but volume is really only up 0.3% from last year (basically flat). https://t.co/UW13FjQ48p

Brent Cross Town Secures £188.7m Refinancing of First BTR Assets
Related Argent secured a £188.7 million (≈ $236 million) refinancing from HSBC and Barclays for the first two build‑to‑rent assets of its Brent Cross Town masterplan in north London. The assets, branded The Maple, will deliver 540 homes alongside a 25 m pool, gym, co‑working...
Single-Family Home Sales Index Drops to 37 in April
JUST IN: The NAHB index for single-family home sales dropped to 37 in April from March's revised 41, previously 42.
Host-City Hotel Rates Fall a Third, Demand Softens
"Match-day room rates in host cities including Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia and San Francisco have dropped about a third from their peak earlier this year, according to data tracker Lighthouse Intelligence, in a sign of lower than anticipated demand."

Segro European Logistics Partnership Prices €500m Senior Unsecured Bond
Segro and its PSP Investments joint venture has priced a €500 million senior unsecured bond. The bond, equivalent to roughly $545 million, is aimed at financing the partnership’s European logistics portfolio. The JV’s assets now total €6.8 billion (about $7.4 billion), spanning key markets...

Auction Market Strengthens in March as Sales and Values Rise
Auction activity in the UK surged in March, with 2,897 lots sold—a 20.3% year‑on‑year increase—and total funds raised climbing to £559.1 million (about $710 million), up 16.6%. The overall success rate stayed near 68.6%, indicating demand kept pace with the larger supply....

Auction Market Outlook Is “Cautiously Optimistic” – Propertymark
The NAVA Propertymark Advisory Panel sees the UK auction market as "cautiously optimistic" after a strong start to 2026. In the first quarter, roughly 90% of lots offered were sold, with entry levels holding steady despite broader economic uncertainty. Data...

The Melbourne Suburb Transforming with More New Apartments than Any Other
South Melbourne is emerging as Melbourne’s most active apartment precinct, with eight new residential projects currently under construction. The surge is tied to its proximity to the massive Fishermans Bend urban renewal zone, which is reshaping the city’s south‑west corridor. Recent...

California’s Housing Market Is Still All Over the Clock—Despite Years of Reform
California’s housing market remains fragmented despite more than 180 land‑use reforms since 2017. The Realtor.com Market Clock shows metros ranging from an early seller’s market in San Francisco to early buyer territory in Riverside. Permit issuances dropped to about 101,500 units...