Blog

hand holding an apartment rendering over an office building pending conversion to multifamily housing

Conversion of Office Buildings to Multifamily Continues to Accelerate

It’s time for our annual(ish) examination of the trend of converting underperforming office buildings into multifamily buildings. It’s clearly accelerating, as the lender practice of “extend and pretend” (where lenders extend the maturity of a loan to avoid recognizing a loss) appears to be running out of steam, especially since interest rates held steady at … Continued
aerial view of an office park in Irvine California

Encouraging Signs for the SoCal Office Market

The downward spiral in office vacancy may finally be approaching its bottom, according to multiple national real estate data providers as well as the Voit Real Estate Services’ quarterly market reports. On a national level, CRE data provider CoStar is reporting that U.S. office leasing remained steady in Q2 2026, reaching a level that remains … Continued
A server room illuminated with blue and red lights, highlighting the data center infrastructure and the critical role of technology in modern data management systems

Data Centers: Finding a Balance Between Meeting Digital Needs and Protecting the Public

Artificial Intelligence, powered by data centers, enhances the lives of everyday American citizens in numerous ways every day. Some of these benefits include accelerating everyday task completion and administrative workflows and enabling enhanced medical diagnostics, predictive searches, automated fraud detection, and real-time language translation. However, the bipartisan backlash against the rapid acceleration of data center … Continued
A stylish fully furnished spec suite

Rising Costs and Flight to Quality Fuel Spec Suite Momentum

As rising construction costs temper the real value of Tenant Improvement (TI) allowances and the ‘flight to quality’ continues to be the primary driver in the office leasing market, the trend toward spec suites is gaining momentum—for tenants and landlords alike. What are Spec Suites? Spec suites are office spaces within multi-tenant buildings that are … Continued
collage of medical office buildings and medical uses

SoCal Medical Office: From Niche to Core Investment Sector

As uncertainty persists in the U.S. economy, CRE investors are increasingly turning to healthcare real estate, specifically medical office buildings (MOB). This asset class has long been viewed as a safe harbor for investors due to its consistently high occupancy, predictable revenue streams, and limited volatility. Over the last year, it has gained momentum as … Continued
Broker Profiles The Meet our Professionals series overlay on grid of Voit brokerage professionals headshots

Broker Profile: Life Science Specialist Chris Durbin

Examine the biographies of most commercial real estate brokers, and a commonality that emerges is participation in competitive sports, where they often excelled. Voit Associate and Life Science Specialist Chris Durbin of the San Diego office fits that description, shining as a competitive swimmer and lacrosse player while growing up in Southern New Jersey. That … Continued
empty outdoor retail shopping center with beautiful palm trees

Retail Remains Resilient Amid War and Tariffs: But For How Long?

Despite the ongoing war in Iran and U.S. tariff-driven price increases, retail has become one of the strongest CRE asset classes in 2026. U.S. retail vacancy is expected to peak at about 4.4% in 2026, edge slightly higher, then stabilize and tighten gradually in 2027, according to a recent CoStar press release. This vacancy rate … Continued
Busy office area with AI overlay

Office Demand Spiking and RTO Policies Take Hold as AI Companies Expand

Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and continued economic uncertainty in the U.S., the demand for office space is accelerating in many markets, according to multiple national real estate data providers. That demand extends to Southern California as well, corroborated by Voit’s research and boots-on-the-ground broker observations in our Q1 market reports (highlights can be found later … Continued
Collage of seven various IOS properties - empty lot, containers, pallets, trucks

Investors Ramp Up as SoCal IOS Market Gains Momentum

The Industrial Outdoor Storage (IOS) market appears to be rebounding from its post-pandemic slump. Institutional investors are taking notice. A Q4 2025 report by Partner Valuation Advisors states that IOS “has evolved from a niche asset class into a strategic investment target for institutional capital. In 2025, demand surged as e-commerce growth and supply chain … Continued