Canada’s Mall Redevelopment Boom Hits a Wall
Canada’s mall‑redevelopment boom is stalling as a weak condo market, rising construction costs and tighter credit curb mixed‑use projects. High‑profile plans such as Cloverdale Mall’s 4,000‑unit tower have been cancelled after pre‑sales fell below the 70 % threshold. Lenders are pulling back, forcing owners like RioCan to pivot toward necessity‑based retail rather than speculative residential density. The slowdown is already manifesting in receiverships and mounting debt burdens across secondary malls.
New-Home Purchase Applications Hit Record High in March
New‑home purchase applications surged 11% year‑over‑year in March, the strongest pace since the MBA’s 2012 inception. Volume jumped 26% from February, pushing the builders index to a record high and lifting annualized sales estimates to 717,000 units. Despite higher mortgage...
Homeless Services Nonprofit Leases Former FiDi Migrant Shelter: The N.Y. Deal Sheet
Highland Park Community Development Corp., a nonprofit serving people at risk of homelessness, signed a 30‑year lease for the 119,000‑square‑foot, 289‑room former hotel at 52 William St. in the Financial District. The building, purchased by Slate Property Group for $95 million in 2024,...
Trinity and UBS Secure $600M Refi for Diplomat Resort in South Florida
Trinity Investments and UBS have refinanced the 1,000‑room Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida with a $600 million loan led by J.P. Morgan Chase ($420 million) and Citi ($180 million). The new mortgage pushes total debt to $600 million, up $148 million from the prior...
Insurance Firm CFC Inks 13K-SF Lease at 5 Penn Plaza
London‑based cyber‑insurance specialist CFC has signed a seven‑year lease for 13,065 square feet on the second floor of 5 Penn Plaza in Midtown Manhattan. The move relocates the firm from its previous New York office at 48 Wall Street in the...
Sportsman’s Warehouse Hones in on Inventory Timing
Sportsman’s Warehouse trimmed its inventory by $29.1 million, an 8.5% year‑over‑year decline, and plans to keep levels lower throughout 2026. CFO Jennifer Fall Jung said the spring inventory will arrive later to improve turns, while the retailer continues SKU rationalization, especially...
Karis Could Build Data Center in Central Ohio
Data‑center developer Karis is evaluating a 127‑acre parcel at 535 Cole Road in central Ohio, adjacent to a railroad, a 345 kV transmission line and an AEP substation. The site sits within the environmentally sensitive Big Darby Watershed, prompting local concerns despite...
Residential MBS Issuance Declines Slightly in First Quarter
Residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS) issuance slipped modestly in the first quarter, suggesting a slight cooling in mortgage financing after a year of robust growth. A planned “major housing announcement” by FHFA and HUD was postponed, leaving market participants awaiting guidance...
Lily Allen and David Harbour’s Brooklyn Brownstone Sells For $7 Million
Pop star Lily Allen and actor David Harbour’s four‑level Brooklyn brownstone sold privately for $7 million after seven months on the market. The couple bought the five‑bedroom home in January 2021 for $3.35 million and invested heavily in a designer overhaul that added...
Across the US, the ‘New Compass’ Is Running Away with the Lead
Compass International Holdings has dramatically expanded its market share after acquiring Anywhere, now leading in five major U.S. metros. In Boston, Chicago, San Diego, Austin and Washington, D.C., the "New Compass" brand commands 30%‑40% of home‑sale transactions, outpacing rivals such as...
WRS Breaks Ground on $1.2 Billion Redevelopment of Lakeforest Mall in Metro D.C.
Retail developer WRS Inc. has broken ground on a $1.2 billion mixed‑use redevelopment of the former Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The 102‑acre site will become a walkable mini‑city featuring 1,600 residential units—including 600 for‑sale homes, 600 rentals, and 250 workforce‑housing...
Local Government Staffing Shortages Threaten Housing Development, Experts Say
Local government staffing shortages, driven by retirements and turnover, are slowing housing permitting processes across U.S. cities, according to a panel of experts at the America’s Housing Comeback Advisory Group. Nearly 38% of municipal employees are projected to retire within...
Lender Selling $140M Downtown D.C. Office Loan With 'Path To Ownership'
JLL is marketing the sale of a $140 million loan secured by the 306,000‑square‑foot office building at 700 Sixth Street NW in downtown Washington, D.C. The loan, originated in May 2019 by Principal Real Estate Investors, carries a 3.7% fixed rate and...
Marcus & Millichap Arranges $4.3 Million Sale of Two Single-Tenant Retail Properties in Valparaiso, Indiana
Marcus & Millichap arranged the $4.3 million sale of two adjacent single‑tenant retail properties in Valparaiso, Indiana. The sites—7 Brew and a neighboring space occupied by Chipotle—are newly constructed and operate under 15‑year leases. Buyers were a Nevada‑based investment and development firm...
BIVI/Padel Acquires Former Beach Cinema Alehouse in Virginia Beach for $6.3 Million, Plans Redevelopment
BIVI/Padel purchased the former Beach Cinema Alehouse at 941 Laskin Road in Virginia Beach for $6.3 million. The partnership of Jason Vickers‑Smith and Ahmad Butt will convert the site into an indoor padel complex called the Padel Foundry. The redevelopment aims...
Martin’s Properties Launches Self-Storage Platform
Martin’s Properties has unveiled Cactus Self Storage, a wholly owned platform aimed at building and operating self‑storage facilities across the South and South West of England. The first purpose‑built 300‑unit site in Didcot is already permitted and is expected to...
Single-Family Permits Decline Sharply to Start 2026
Residential construction entered 2026 with a stark split between housing segments. Single‑family permits dropped 15.2% year‑over‑year to 62,034 units, reflecting higher borrowing costs and tightening affordability. Multifamily permits held steady, slipping only 0.5% to 38,215 units, showing resilience amid regional...
Take a Trip Inside the Habitat Development Rising at 3401 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Lendlease and Aware Super are bringing Habitat LA to 3401 S. La Cienega Boulevard, a mixed‑use development adjacent to the Metro La Cienega/Jefferson Station. The project replaces a storage facility with a 12‑story residential tower offering 260 studio, one‑ and...
Fresh Renderings for Affordable Housing at 600 N. Rosemead Blvd. In Pasadena
Elysian Housing unveiled revised plans for an affordable‑housing campus at 600 N. Rosemead Blvd in Pasadena. The existing 42,518‑sq‑ft building will be transformed into a 51‑unit apartment block, while a new five‑story structure replaces a parking garage, adding 82 units...
Cheap, Underweighted, and Ready to Move. Why This Dormant Emerging Market...
Eurizon SLJ Capital, managing over $432 billion, predicts Chinese equities will rally about 10% by year‑end, lifting the CSI 300 past the 5,000 mark. The forecast rests on low valuations—roughly 18‑times forward earnings—alongside a stabilising property sector and abundant household savings shifting...
Affordable Housing Debuts at 8140 Van Nuys Blvd. In Panorama City
Thomas Safran & Associates completed Vista Terrace, a four‑story affordable housing complex on Van Nuys Boulevard in Panorama City. The development provides 102 studio, two‑ and three‑bedroom units reserved for renters earning 30‑70% of the area median income, and includes a...
Pair of Townhouses Leads Brooklyn’s Luxury Contracts
Brooklyn’s luxury market saw 20 contracts worth $71 million last week, down from 26 deals totaling $79 million the prior week. The median asking price was $2.7 million and the average price per square foot $1,434. The top deal was an $8.5 million townhouse...
Apparel Drives 25% of Retail Leasing in Top 7 Cities
Apparel drove roughly one‑quarter of the 4.3 million sq.ft. retail space absorption across India’s seven largest cities in the second half of 2025, according to ANAROCK’s RELEAP 2026 report. Chennai posted the highest city‑level share at 34.1%, followed by Mumbai (30.5%) and Pune...
Chuck E. Cheese to Open First Birmingham Outlet at Star City
Chuck E. Cheese is set to open its first UK venue at Birmingham’s Star City, partnering with SuperPark to convert the former Genting Casino space into a 4,157 m² family entertainment hub. The development will create 45 jobs for Chuck E. Cheese and 26 for...
YIMBY Goes Global? Building More Houses in Africa
Africa faces an unprecedented urban surge, with almost a billion new city dwellers expected by 2050. The housing chain—from land tenure to finance—is hampered primarily by weak municipal capacity, inflating costs and pushing development into informality. Informal builders already fill...
Homes England and Vistry to Bring Forward 1,000 Northstowe Homes
Homes England and Vistry Group have signed a conditional contract to fast‑track 1,000 new homes at the Northstowe development in Cambridgeshire. About 40 % of the units will be affordable, and the scheme includes a primary school, roads, utilities and green...
Protect the Broker. Defend the Borrower.
National Association of Mortgage Brokers’ political action committee, NAMBPAC, is urging independent mortgage brokers to fund its advocacy efforts in Washington. The PAC pools member contributions—capped at $5,000 per person annually—to back candidates who support broker‑friendly legislation such as compensation...
Old Republic Wins Coverage Dispute over Land Borrower Legally Owned
The Massachusetts Appeals Court affirmed a lower‑court ruling that Old Republic Title Insurance is not liable for land under a stone wall that, while legally owned by the borrowers, fell outside the insured description. The court held that the state’s...
Expats Returning From Middle East Face Mortgages Hurdles in the UK
Returning expatriates from the Middle East are encountering significant obstacles when applying for UK mortgages. Lenders view the lack of recent UK credit history and foreign‑currency income as high‑risk, often steering borrowers toward specialist expat mortgage products. These niche loans...
One in Four Americans Say Homeownership Out of Reach, Poll Finds
A KeyBank poll released in January 2026 finds that 25% of Americans consider homeownership unattainable, while only 13% believe they can buy a home by year‑end. Economic confidence has slipped, with housing costs now the top financial worry for 44%...
NAREB Urges FHA to Drop Spousal Debt Rule
The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) is urging the Federal Housing Administration to eliminate a rule that forces lenders to count a non‑borrowing spouse’s debts in community‑property states while ignoring that spouse’s income. The policy inflates debt‑to‑income ratios...
NYC’s Top Deals: Pro Tennis Player Drops $5M on Co-Op at the Dakota
From April 10‑13, New York City recorded 158 transactions worth $240 million. The most expensive commercial sale was a 142‑unit building in Fort George for $10.1 million, while the residential market saw a $12 million Tribeca penthouse and a $25.1 million Central Park West condo change hands. Former...
M&S to Open New Retail Park Store, Creating 75 Jobs
Marks & Spencer is launching an 18,000 sq ft retail‑park store in Abingdon, repurposing a former Homebase site. The outlet will feature the full M&S food range, an in‑store bakery, coffee and hot‑chicken counters, and a dedicated click‑and‑collect hub for fashion, home...
Spring Purchase Activity Jumps Despite Climbing Rates
Purchase activity surged in March, with mortgage locks up 38% from February and 20% year‑over‑year, despite 30‑year rates climbing to 6.35%. Buyers made up 71% of locks, while adjustable‑rate mortgages rose to 12% of production, the highest since Oct 2022. Total...
FHLB Council Maps Out Mortgage Credit Expansion Plan
President Trump’s executive order on mortgage credit gives the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) system a new legal footing to expand funding options. The Council of Federal Home Loan Banks, led by Ryan Donovan, outlined a roadmap that includes a letter‑of‑credit...
Germany Logistics Investment Market Starts 2026 with €1.4bn Volume – CBRE
CBRE reports Germany's logistics investment market kicked off 2026 with €1.4bn (≈$1.5bn) of transaction volume, marking a rebound after a subdued 2025. Strong occupier demand for modern distribution centres is fueling new builds, acquisitions and joint‑venture projects despite lingering geopolitical...
Jollyes Seeks Out 160 New Store Locations with Huge Expansion Plans
Jollyes Pets announced a five‑year rollout of more than 160 new stores across Great Britain, adding to its existing 120‑store network. The retailer is targeting 3,000‑7,000 sq ft sites on retail parks or prominent roadside locations, with a particular focus on Birmingham,...
Data Centre Expansion to Drive European Logistics Demand
Savills’ latest research highlights that the rapid expansion of data centres is already generating measurable demand for logistics real estate in Europe, with early signals coming from Dublin and Houston. The study notes a surge in warehouse inquiries and distribution‑space...
Waitrose Steps up Investment in New Shops and Refurbishments
Waitrose announced a $1.27 bn multi‑year investment to expand and modernise its UK store network. The plan includes opening a Little Waitrose in Ascot, a full‑line supermarket in Chelmsford, refurbishing 30 existing locations and building a 360,000 sq ft distribution centre in Bristol. The...
Easter Boosts Retail Traffic Amid Steady Consumer Demand – Placer.ai Blog
Retail foot traffic in the United States remained broadly resilient through early 2026, with holidays providing a lift rather than masking weakness. Easter week delivered a 5.7% year‑over‑year increase, the second‑strongest growth period of the year after Valentine’s Day. AI‑driven...
Loss Prevention Report Explores Top Threats for Retail Facilities
Interface Systems released its 2026 Retail Loss Prevention Benchmark Report, analyzing 1.6 million remote‑monitoring events across 18,258 U.S. stores and 51 brands in 2025. The study identifies location theft, disturbances and loitering as the highest‑volume threats, and shows that incidents surge...
Vermont’s First Neighborhood Geothermal Project Prepares to Break Ground
Vermont Gas and nonprofit developers are set to break ground on the state’s first neighborhood‑scale geothermal heating and cooling system at the Riggs Meadow affordable‑housing project in Hinesburg. The scheme will serve 36 residential units and an on‑site childcare center...
How Barratt Redrow Is Building the UK’s Biggest Net-Zero Carbon Neighbourhood
Barratt Redrow has teamed with utility specialist GTC to deliver Cosmeston Farm, a 576‑home development in Penarth that will become the UK’s largest net‑zero carbon neighbourhood. The scheme combines networked ground‑source heat pumps, rooftop solar, home batteries and a smart...
The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Renovating a Period Property
Renovating period properties demands a different approach than modern builds because the original fabrics are breathable and lack vapor barriers. Introducing impermeable materials can disrupt the building’s natural moisture equilibrium, leading to costly damage. Owners must understand heritage constraints, select...
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Placer.ai March 2026 Office Index: The RTO Marches On – Placer.ai Blog
Placer.ai’s March 2026 Office Index shows the strongest March foot‑traffic since the pandemic, with visits only 26.5% below 2019 levels and a 6.4% year‑over‑year gain. The data, drawn from about 1,300 premium office towers, highlights a clear rebound driven by...
MCS Group Lands £22m Walsall Warehouse Deal
MCS Group has obtained detailed planning consent for a speculative warehouse development in Walsall worth £22 million (approximately $28 million). The project will deliver 93,110 sq ft across six Grade A units, with site clearance already under way. Main construction is slated to begin in...
Property Market Showing Signs of Resilience Amid Mortgage Rate Rises
UK housing activity remained surprisingly steady in March despite mortgage rates climbing to 4.57%, the highest since last April. The share of home movers accepting rates above 4% jumped to 83% from 58% in February, the sharpest month‑on‑month rise since...
Platform Launched to Support Rent Reviews Under Renters’ Rights Act
MarketRent, a proptech startup founded by Fixflo co‑founders Rajeev Nayyar and Duncan Careless, has launched an early‑adopter program for its rent‑review platform in England. The tool centralizes market data, comparable rents, indexation and landlord approvals, creating a transparent audit trail...
International Estate Agencies Extend Global Reach with New Market Entries
Fine & Country announced its first Madrid office, targeting high‑end residential sales and lettings, led by architect Alejandra Santos and entrepreneur Carlos Rojo. Chestertons entered India through a partnership with BSE‑listed Justo Realfintech, forming Chestertons India Private Limited to serve...
Propalt Launches ChatGPT Connector to Give Agents AI Access to Data
Propalt, a property data and prospecting platform, has unveiled a ChatGPT connector that lets estate agents query its datasets using natural language. The integration returns details on sales, lettings, landlord portfolios, planning applications, charge records and market averages, aiming to...