Emerging from the Office Trough

Explicit content warning

08/21/23 • 38 min

Mark, meet Marc. Mark Rose, chair and CEO of Avison Young, joins Marc on the podcast for a discussion about building a workplace culture that matters; what his experience tells him about challenges in the current economic climate; the rumor he’s heard about the Fed; and why he “couldn’t be more optimistic” about the office sector. Mark shares recent data about longer-term leases that may surprise you, talks about actively mentoring 14 professionals, and why he believes office space will return to the days where it was a key part of a company brand. Recorded on August 2, 2023.

Previous Episode

A Closer Look at CRE Construction Trends

Marc sits down with Richard Branch, chief economist at Dodge Construction Network, a leading source of data analytics and insights on the commercial construction industry. Branch has us time-travel to the peak of the office market in 1985 (when the tax code allowed for extended depreciation); shares the latest data from Dodge on office renovation projects; and explores the link between the office market and popular culture, from “Mad Men” to “Office Space” to the end of the corner office. He discusses the hotel industry’s “aggressive rebound” post-economic crises; makes the case for why the office sector is here to stay; and shares the opportunities he sees for adaptive reuse in big cities and build-to-suit office space made for the hybrid work environment. Recorded on June 14, 2023.

Next Episode

Purpose is Paramount in the Next Era of Office

Marc sits down with Julie Whelan, CBRE’s Global Head of Occupier Thought Leadership, whose team is tasked with identifying major trends impacting occupiers across all industries. As many organizations adopt a hybrid model for their workforce and office utilization needs continue to change, you can imagine Julie has plenty to discuss. She dives into the rightsizing happening today; draws parallels between the office sector’s current uncertainty and retail (remember brick-and-mortar’s predicted demise?); shares her advice for big cities facing the dreaded urban doom loop; and explains why building owners should always explore what her colleague calls “the $100,000 solution.” Recorded on Aug. 31, 2023.