Economist Richard Barkham (Episode 2/2) - Unpacks the Dynamics Shaping Today’s Commercial Real Estate Sectors
About this episode
Economist Richard Barkham discusses the dynamics shaping today's commercial real estate sectors, including office vacancies, industrial consolidation, and retail health.
In this episode, Jennifer Robertson sits down with renowned economist Richard Barkham, former Global Chief Economist at CBRE. Richard explains how office vacancies are beginning to stabilize and why a new office cycle may be emerging. They explore the industrial sector’s shift toward consolidation, the impact of tariffs, and the ongoing “flight to quality”. The conversation moves to retail—now one of the healthiest CRE sectors due to limited new supply. Richard also discusses multifamily’s strong absorption and future construction trends, as well as how slowing immigration and millions of retiring boomers could reshape labor markets, growth, and housing demand. Music is Happy G by Mr Smith from the Free Music Archive, CC BY.
People in this episode
Host: Jennifer Robertson
Guest: Richard Barkham
Topics covered
- commercial real estate
- office vacancies
- industrial sector
- retail market
- multifamily housing
- labor markets
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: CBRE
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