Real Asset Media runs a series of publications designed to meet the needs of the current market. With a focus on sharing thought leadership, and creating personalized news and data resources, Real Asset Media launches a daily newsletter, The Real Asset Day, a special focus quarterly publication, Real Asset Insight, distributed at the major events including MIPIM and EXPO Real, as well as Living Retail focused on the retail, F&B and leisure industry. With 36,000 registered readers, listeners & viewers, and attendees, Real Asset Media and Investment Briefings is the chosen resource for leading cross-border decision-makers.
All content for Real Asset Media Thought Leaders is the property of Real Asset Media Thought Leaders and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Real Asset Media runs a series of publications designed to meet the needs of the current market. With a focus on sharing thought leadership, and creating personalized news and data resources, Real Asset Media launches a daily newsletter, The Real Asset Day, a special focus quarterly publication, Real Asset Insight, distributed at the major events including MIPIM and EXPO Real, as well as Living Retail focused on the retail, F&B and leisure industry. With 36,000 registered readers, listeners & viewers, and attendees, Real Asset Media and Investment Briefings is the chosen resource for leading cross-border decision-makers.
Positive outlook for CRE lending as office market picks up in US, Helga Blum, Bayern LB
Real Asset Media Thought Leaders
1 minute
3 days ago
Positive outlook for CRE lending as office market picks up in US, Helga Blum, Bayern LB
Commercial real estate lending conditions in the US are beginning to improve, with early interest rate cuts and a gradual recovery in office demand expected to support increased acquisition and refinancing activity through 2026, according to Helga Blum, managing director and head of US real estate finance at BayernLB.
Speaking to Real Asset Media at EXPO REAL in October 2025, Blum said the US lending market had endured a prolonged period of disruption following the pandemic but was now showing early signs of renewed momentum.
“The commercial real estate lending market has been challenged in the United States as a result of the global pandemic, as we all know too well,” she said. “We’re finally starting to come out of that and are hopeful that the rate cuts that the Federal Reserve has started will actually spur additional activity in the US commercial real estate market, both in terms of acquisitions [and] refinancings.”
Blum said the improving monetary environment was underpinning a more constructive outlook for the year ahead.
“So overall, I’m quite hopeful for 2026 to be a good year,” she said.
Office market performance, however, remains highly dependent on location, with sharp differences emerging between US coastal markets.
“The office market is really very dependent on the geographic market that we’re talking about,” Blum said.
She noted that several West Coast cities continue to face structural headwinds, with weaker leasing demand and higher vacancy rates persisting in major urban cores.
“I think the West Coast markets, for the most part, remain somewhat challenged,” she said, pointing to Seattle, downtown Los Angeles and San Francisco.
By contrast, Blum said conditions on the East Coast are improving, led by a recovery in New York City and strong demand for high-quality office assets.
“On the East Coast, things are starting to look up, particularly in New York City,” she said. “We see some of the trophy quality office properties doing very well.”
She highlighted strong occupancy levels in prime Midtown locations as a sign of renewed confidence in the office sector.
“There’s hardly any vacancy in the Park Avenue corridor,” Blum said. “New York City is back, and most firms are mandating their employees to be back in the office four or five days a week, so that has definitely helped the office market.”
www.realassetinsight.com
www.realassetmedia.com
Real Asset Media Thought Leaders
Real Asset Media runs a series of publications designed to meet the needs of the current market. With a focus on sharing thought leadership, and creating personalized news and data resources, Real Asset Media launches a daily newsletter, The Real Asset Day, a special focus quarterly publication, Real Asset Insight, distributed at the major events including MIPIM and EXPO Real, as well as Living Retail focused on the retail, F&B and leisure industry. With 36,000 registered readers, listeners & viewers, and attendees, Real Asset Media and Investment Briefings is the chosen resource for leading cross-border decision-makers.
