Ready for a strong 2026? The attendees of the 10th annual Cincinnati Commercial Real Estate Summit certainly are.
Local brokers, developers, attorneys, lenders and other CRE professionals gathered Feb. 27 at the Westin Cincinnati in Cincinnati to celebrate the start of what panelists said should be a solid year for the local commercial real estate industry.
Panelists speaking during the summit held by Midwest Real Estate News focused on the enduring strength of the Cincinnati area industrial and multifamily markets and spoke about the surprisingly strong performance of the local retail sector. And office? Yes, it continues to face challenges. But as more employers in the Cincinnati area are bringing their employees back to the office, some momentum is growing in this space.
Overall? The mood was optimistic as panelists predicted a solid year in terms of leasing, development and sales activity. There is also excitement over some significant new developments in the Cincinnati market, excitement that was clear during the summit’s third panel.
Speaking on the Multifamily Apartment Market Update & Forecast: Opportunities & Challenges panel were Nick Andrews, Managing Director of Investments, Marcus & Millichap; Jon Blackham, Chief Financial Officer, PLK Communities; Marianne Taylor, Vice President, Colliers; Don Brunner, President and CEO, BRG Realty Group, LLC (Moderator); and Justin Seger, Chief Operating Officer, HILLS Properties.
The Cincinnati Market Sector Update – Industrial, Office, Retail, Finance, Construction, Investment panel featured TC Bartoszek, Senior Vice President, Lee & Associates; Todd Pease, Senior Vice President, JLL; Daniel Griffith, Business Development Manager, ARCO National Construction, Ohio Valley Division; Marnie Castleberry, RPA, Director, Asset Services, Cushman & Wakefield (Moderator); Alfredo Gutierrez, Founder, SparrowHawk; and Martin Eisele, Cincinnati Market President, FCN Bank N.A.
Speaking on the final panel of the summit, Transforming Downtown and Suburban Markets Development–Game Changer Projects, were Jeff Chamot, Director of Development, Neyer Properties; Phil Beck, Project Executive, The Banks Public Partnership; John Rickert, President, Executive Managing Partner, Lee & Associates (Moderator); and Caitlin Felvus, Chief Legal Officer, 3CDC.
