Calvin Schnure

Over 3.4 million workers who had gone back to telecommuting during January were back in the office in February

REIT earnings, as measured by funds from operations (FFO), rose 24.6% in the full year 2021 as the recovery from the early stages of the pandemic gained momentum.

Despite the rise in inflation, other "vital signs" of the U.S. economy look healthy.

Solid macroeconomic fundamentals are good news for commercial real estate and REITs, as a growing economy generates increased demand for leased commercial space.

Robust demand from tenants contributed to declining vacancy rates across most property types, and faster rent growth.

The recovery in commercial real estate markets accelerated throughout 2021, especially in the final months of the year.

A close examination of REIT financial exposures suggests that increases in interest rates may have little impact on their operating performance.

The year ahead is likely to see further improvement in commercial real estate markets as the economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the top ten developments to follow.

The FTSE Nareit All Equity REITs Index was down 1.3% for the week, a more modest decline than the 2.3% drop in the Russell 1000.

The return-to-office of employees who have worked from home during the pandemic is rebounding, after a pause during the Delta variant surge of COVID-19.

Last week’s increase raised the year-to-date returns above 30%, to 30.2%.

Last week’s gain, which came after five consecutive weeks of downward moves, brought year-to-date returns to 27.1%.