CRE Capital Markets Send “Mixed Signals” in H1 2026

Commercial real estate investment activity strengthened in the first half of 2026, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association (CREDA) Research Foundation reported. The organization’s U.S. Capital Markets Report, H1 2026 cited transaction volume, pricing and REIT purchasing activity as indicators of growing investor confidence.

However, the report cited “mixed signals” from the CRE investment market in H1. “Net lending to commercial properties … slowed in the first quarter of the year as securitized loans paid down faster than they were replaced, and life insurance company lending to non-multifamily commercial properties stalled as well,” the report stated.

“Growing transaction volume, rising REIT activity and falling distress levels all point to renewed confidence in commercial real estate,” said Marc Selvitelli, CAE, CREDA president and CEO. “While the Fed may have raised interest rates, the fundamentals we’re seeing give us real reason for optimism heading into the second half of the year.”

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About Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny serves as Senior Content Director for Connect Commercial Real Estate, a role to which he brings 16-plus years’ experience covering the commercial real estate industry and 30-plus years in business-to-business journalism. In this capacity, he oversees daily operations while also reporting on both local/regional markets and national trends, covering individual transactions across all property types, as well as delving into broader subject matter. He produces 7-10 daily news stories per day and works with the Connect team and clients to develop longer-form content, ranging from Q&As to thought-leadership pieces. Prior to joining Connect, Paul was Managing Editor for both Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com at American Lawyer Media, where he oversaw operations at both publications while also producing daily news and feature-length articles. His tenure in B2B publishing stretches back into the print era, and he has served as Editor in Chief on four national trade publications. Since 1999, Paul has volunteered as the newsletter editor of passenger rail advocacy groups (one national, one local).

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