Inflation Eases, Tariff Tensions Cool, CRE Activity Dips & FEMA Fades — Good News, Bad News for CRE

The CRE Weekly Digest by LightBox

Inflation cools, tariff tensions ease, and investors start breathing a little easier, but is CRE catching a tailwind? The team digs into surprisingly positive CPI and PPI reports, unpacking why the market's fears may have overshot reality for now. With the May LightBox CRE Activity Index posting its first monthly decline of the year, the big question is whether this is a blip or the beginning of a new trend. Meanwhile, the conversation shifts to headlines shaking up sentiment: civil unrest in L.A., a federal ruling on eviction bans, and a proposed FEMA shutdown that could upend disaster recovery and reshape pricing in high-risk markets. As construction costs face new labor pressures and the Fed stays in wait-and-see mode, the team weighs what it all means for commercial real estate’s second half. On the ground, not all markets are slowing, Florida still has some upside, with luxury apartments trading hands at a premium and retail/hotel deal volume picking up steam. And in the office sector, a milestone moment: for the first time in 25 years, more space is being demolished or converted than built. The outlook? Cautiously optimistic. Or, as Manus puts it: “We went four for four this week—and that’s reason to feel good.” Also on the radar: socks, three-woods, and why a bagel might just be the best Father's Day gift of all.

00:46 Macroeconomic outlook: CPI, PPI, and tariffs
06:16 LA Spotlight: CRE implications
09:35 Eviction bans, rent caps & regulatory risk
13:51 FEMA phase-out: Resilience and rebuilding
16:04 LightBox May CRE Activity Index Dips
22:05 Office conversion trends & market bifurcation
28:00 Multifamily, retail, hotel: The dogs are hunting
30:37 South Florida trophy deals, Father's Day forecasts & more

Have questions for the pod team? Send them to [email protected].

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