Summit Journal

Except during two World Wars in the first half of the last century, when troops were deployed overseas, the US working age population has never declined. As of 2021, that statement is no longer true.

The new 2022 AFIRE International Investor Survey Report reveals future institutional investment trends as the pandemic transformed preferences for how we live, work, and play.

Beginning with this issue of Summit, we are adding a new dimension to the journal: the voice of our inaugural editorial board.

Summit Journal, the official, award-winning publication of AFIRE, seeks the latest ideas, research, forecasts, and thought leadership for Summer 2022.

We are all invested in the cities, assets, and infrastructure of tomorrow, even if we might not
live to see the ten largest cities in 2100. But understanding climate change can get us closer.

The pandemic-driven changes to downtown areas and central business districts are changing the geography of institutional investment. What else changes because of this?

With more tenants focusing on environmental targets, the burden to reduce direct emissions places increased pressure on investors, who are at a pivotal moment in ESG strategy.

To better prepare for risk, firms need diversity. Is the goal of 50% female representation possible in investment and asset management firms?

As the public health situation started to improve in early 2021 and the economy re-opened, did migration flows change too—and what if we are able to answer this in real time?

Interest and excellence in ESG performance is becoming increasingly critical to portfolio strategy. So with sea levels on the rise, how can CRE portfolios stay above water?

Life sciences real estate has been a “hot” property type for the past decade—and even more since the pandemic. Will all the capital targeting the space be placed where it needs to go?

As investors look for sustainable sources of inflation-protected yield, real estate investment is increasingly blurring into a wider range of “digital” real asset investment strategies.

The mainstreaming of non-traditional property types is well on its way within institutional investing, which will materially broaden the real estate investment universe.

Real estate investments have historically coalesced around common property types—but it may make sense for investors to reconsider specialty property sectors in the post-COVID world.

Summit Journal, the official publication of AFIRE, is currently seeking abstracts, proposals, and submissions for the Spring 2022 issue, which will be published in March/April 2022.

As sustainable investing continues to grow in popularity, family offices have taken note.

Employees are increasingly demanding flexibility and choice for where (and when) they work. What strategies can landlords implement to adapt?

Debt funds remain a comparatively small part of the real estate investment market, but they have been gaining in prominence in recent years.

The commercial real estate industry may not yet fully grasp the actual relationship between climate risk and asset pricing and value. But the knowledge is coming fast.

No matter your age or experience, 2021 has shaped up to be a year that no one can forget. Findings from the AFIRE 2021 Mid-Year Pulse Survey detail a cautious road ahead.