This month’s theme — The Power of People & Place — comes to life through the children’s book A World Wonder by Laura Wiffler. with its message that speaks directly to the heart of commercial real estate: the spaces we build shape the way people experience community.

In this episode, we explore how differences in people and buildings create the fabric of a neighborhood — whether we are building, buying, redeveloping, or leasing, what we are ultimately shaping is the community experience.

Using Miami as our case study, we connect themes from the book to our own backyard:

Ease of Travel & Connectivity Walkable urban cores, transit corridors, our international and executive airports and the ports, all connect us to our community and the world beyond,

Diversity of Places & Architecture Miami’s layered identity — historic, modern, waterfront, cultural — reflects the book’s celebration of differences. Landmarks like the Freedom Tower and cultural institutions like the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) anchor community identity and tell the story of place.

Community Through Events Events create shared experiences that define cities. Gatherings like Ultra Music Festival and global moments such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup energize neighborhoods, activate real estate, and elevate Miami’s position on the world stage.

This episode also serves as a thoughtful companion to our recent conversation with MJ Green of the Miami Downtown Development Authority, where we discussed how intentional development can strengthen the social fabric of downtown.

At its core, A World Wonder reminds us that buildings are never just buildings. They are invitations, to gathers and create experiences.

If you’re in commercial real estate, this episode will challenge you to think beyond transactions and toward transformation — because real estate decisions ripple far beyond square footage and rent rolls.

"Mixed Urban Is A Trend, Not Trendy"

The 2026 CCIM Miami Monroe Outlook Conference delivered a clear message: Miami’s commercial real estate market is not collapsing — it’s recalibrating.

In this episode, we break down the biggest takeaways from industry leaders including Jeffrey Havsey of Moody’s Analytics, Terry Fraser Reid of Miami Freedom Park, Michael Berkowitz of Berkowitz Development Group, South Miami Mayor Javier Fernandez, Carrie Smith of Franklin Street, Grant Killingsworth of CBRE, Edison Vasquez of ComReal, and Mitash Kripalani of Cushman & Wakefield.

Some of the highlights include:

• Retail: Notable submarkets:
  • Brickell
  • Wynwood
  • Coral Gables
  • Coconut Grove (reestablished primary market)
  • South Miami (Sunset Place redevelopment catalyst)
• Industrial: 2025 favored tenants, with:
  • Higher concessions
  • Slower lease-up times
  • Tariff-related pauses mid-year

  But new construction has slowed significantly, meaning fewer deliveries in 2–3 years. By Q4 2026, leverage is projected to shift back toward landlords.

  A key tension to watch: the disconnect between developer-required land pricing ($2–$2.5M/acre) and owner expectations ($3M+/acre).

• The Big Picture for 2026: Miami CRE is entering a phase of:
  • Slower but stabilizing fundamentals
  • Moderating rent growth
  • Decelerating supply
  • Improving sentiment
  • Sector-specific leverage shifts

  It’s no longer a frenzy market. It’s a fundamentals market.

  And in that environment, underwriting, local expertise, and strategic positioning matter more than ever.

Miami Downtown Development Authority Chief of Economic Development and Strategy, MJ Green joins us to talk about Miami's major moment. We dive into the challenges, such as how to bring new business in while keeping the small businesses that help create Miami's culture; the focus of the DDA on individuals: safety, cleanliness, and events and business: incentive programs, networking, permitting assistance; and insights on where we are heading. Glydways, Brightline, Metrorail, Metromover and Freebee are all part of the transportation network that is going to help us get there. Learn how the DDA can assist you in transactions you have within the DDA boundaries. They are amazing partners whether you are a broker or owner!

It is an election year, which means Florida Realtors and the Florida Legislature start their meetings and session much earlier than usual. The conversations this year are all about affordability and potential policies that can make Florida more affordable. Insurance, housing, property taxes, permitting and zoning all affect affordability and legislators are looking at all of these items. Think Bigger is something Beth Azor encourages her women investors to do and we think it is appropriate in this context as well. Thinking bigger allows for a big picture view of how a policy aimed at one sector may affect another, often with uninteded consequences. How can tech help address some of the inefficiencies that lead to increase costs and, therefore, a decrease in affordability. These topics and more are explored in this issue, where we highlight some of the topics that arose during our midwinter meetings.

"The financial economy is built for people on salary, the whole thing," explains Brandon Wright, serial entrepreneur and CEO & Founder of Tongo, Monthly bills assume you’re paid twice a month. Credit scores reward predictable paychecks and penalize irregular income. Yet the majority of real estate agents, brokers, and investors are self-employed.

In this episode, Brandon shares how his own entrepreneurial journey revealed the disconnect between modern work and outdated financial infrastructure—and how that insight led to the creation of Tongo. We explore the real financial challenges faced by indepenent contractors and small business owners, from cash-flow volatility to credit access, and what it takes to build tools that actually reflect how people earn money today.

Whether you are a real estate broker, agent or investor, this episode will show you how to save more of what you make and free up your time to do what you do best, putting deals together and closing transactions.

Join us as we break down a small strip center listing we had in a transitioning market. How does pricing affect the number of offers you get? How do you work with multiple absentee owners, owners who don't want to counter any offers, what happens when you are circumvented after an NDA is signed. One thing about commercial real estate is that no two deals are ever the same and we learn something with every transaction. Pull up a chair and see if you learn anything as we dissect this deal.

Grease traps, storm drains, and septic tanks may not be glamorous—but ignoring them can derail a deal, delay an opening, or lead to major unexpected costs.

In this episode, we get down and dirty with the experts at Day & Night Septic to uncover why these systems deserve serious attention during the due diligence phase of commercial real estate transactions—not just for purchases, but for leases as well, especially NNN leases where maintenance and repair obligations may fall squarely on the tenant.

Section 21-49.2 of the Code of Miami-Dade County requires the seller or lessor to provide the purchaser or lessee with a FOG Generator Disclosure (Fats Oil & Grease)

The commercial refrain since 2022 or 2023 has been "Survive 'til '25". The extremely rapid rise in interest rates brought a lot of uncertainty to the market, especially for those assets with loans coming due at a time when rents were lower, vacancy rates were higher and, as a result, valuations were lower. Well, '25 is in the rear view mirror and the 4th quarter in South Florida, at least at our company, was strong in terms of both leasing and sales. Is this a sign of a 2026 CRE resurgence? Tune in to hear from ULI and The Counselors of Real Estate predictions for this year. We wish you a healthy and prosperous 2026 with new deals, relationships, and opportunities for growth.