AFIRE News
Multifamily buildings are evolving from captive energy consumers to grid-connected assets. This transformation unlocks financial returns, mitigates risk, and delivers on rising regulatory and capital market expectations.
As electricity demand accelerates across global markets, real estate is emerging as both a constraint and a solution. From microgrids to distributed generation, buildings are evolving into critical energy infrastructure—and capital strategy must evolve with them.
The current climate crisis is the result of centuries of industrialization—and the economic and social factors that have driven this evolution. The fix will require investors to reconsider the problem from the ground up.
Technology is transforming the face of real estate. Government stimulus is incentivizing the buildout of critical infrastructure in innovations hubs, which is driving demand for advanced manufacturing, residential and retail assets in these areas.
The rapid expansion of digital demand is transforming middle America into a strategic hub where commercial real estate and energy sectors collaborate to leverage renewable power, existing rail infrastructure, and rural land for the future of digital infrastructure.
For years, data center development was largely a real estate discussion. But now, it is pivoting into an energy discussion—leaving data center developers and Big Tech “offtakers” to figure out how to ensure sufficient and affordable power at their sites.
Geopolitical instability, rare earth supply constraints, and decarbonization mandates are redefining the long-term value of real estate, prompting greater alignment between energy, policy, and investment strategy across global markets.
Sustainable investing now emphasizes precise energy and carbon performance metrics. This shift requires aligning sustainability goals with investment strategies.
In the US commercial real estate sector, the path to green energy transition is strong, but higher energy efficiency and lower demand for competing brown sources makes them relatively more cost-effective over time, which acts as a counteracting force to the path of transition to green sources.
Solar is no longer just about ESG—it’s a strategic investment that boosts NOI, increases property valuations, and hedges against rising energy costs.
Take the new AFIRE H2 2025 Investor Survey, with 16 questions, 9–12 minutes to complete. Deadline: August 8. Results published September 2025.
When we expand the definition of what constitutes an “energy real estate investment,” the aperture needs to be broadened so that related opportunities become part of the capital discussion.
America’s severe shortage of housing and energy poses an existential threat to the viability of long-term infrastructure investment. Yet with coordinated action from energy and real estate investors, we can meet America’s economic goals.
The commercial solar landscape in the US is shifting, driven by new policies, evolving incentives, and rising investor interest. So what’s new, what’s next, and what matters most for thew future of solar?
Energy isn’t just a service. It’s the foundation of our economy, cities, and future. Understanding its evolving and growing role cannot be optional for real estate investors.
AFIRE is seeking general article proposals for Summit Journal #19, with a broad focus on economic trends, market analyses, and other topics relevant to the current conversation for cross-border investment into US real estate.
While the commercial real estate sector has been a longtime energy consumer, new energy technologies and innovative partnerships with the energy sector could be leading to a new industry convergence.
Summit Journal Issue 18 is the first entry of AFIRE’s new “Real Estate Power Initiative,” focused on the intersection of energy and commercial real estate and the future of collaborative development.
Ben van Loon, Managing Director of AFIRE has been named by GlobeSt. as one of CRE’s Aspiring Leaders of 2025.
Syndication continues to grow in popularity among lenders, which is also introducing a host of legal issues into the market. (Part two of a two-part series.)
Media Coverage
Only a few years after many observers were declaring that New York City, San Francisco and other gateway U.S. cities have forever lost their appeal to commercial real estate investors, new sentiment surveys are showing gateway markets are coming back in favor.
The U.S. media continues putting rising interest rates and ongoing inflationary concerns in its headlines. Yet despite all of this, international institutional investors continue to view U.S. commercial real estate as “a preferred destination, relative to Europe, for real estate investment across property types,” according to a recent survey released by the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE).
More than 20 properties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area tied to commercial mortgage-backed securities are considered to be financially stressed as property values decline or vacancy rises, reflecting the nationwide fallout from reduced demand.
AFIRE, the association for international real estate investors focused on commercial property in the United States, has released its AFIRE International Investor Survey: Q1 2023 Pulse Report, underwritten by Holland Partner Group.
Allocations among top investors for commercial real estate in the US were up 6% over a year ago, while European investments declined by 5%, according to a survey by AFIRE.
The U.S. remains a preferred global destination for commercial real estate investment with allocations up 6% from 2022, compared to a 5% decline in European investment, according to AFIRE’s International Investor Survey: Q1 2023 Pulse Report.
AFIRE, the association for international real estate investors focused on commercial property in the United States, has released its AFIRE International Investor Survey: Q1 2023 Pulse Report, underwritten by Holland Partner Group.
The US trails the EU on adoption of ESG investment principles, with a consensus that more incentives are needed for momentum.
Real estate company Climate Core Capital and the Harvard Graduate School of Design explored how quickly some of the nation’s most desirable real estate markets would heat up beyond the point of tolerable human living in what they called a “Death Valley Index.”
While the strong dollar makes acquisitions costlier, the U.S. offers a safe haven from geopolitical upheaval.
AFIRE survey shows reuse, redevelopment top of mind as market turbulence looms.
AFIRE released its Summer 2022 International Survey Pulse this past week, which found mounting concerns about US commercial real estate.
Foreign institutional investors are adapting to market headwinds as they grapple with mounting inflation and rising interest rates in the US, according to the latest survey from AFIRE, the association for international real estate investors focused on commercial property here.
Chicago’s tech sector is on the rise, but to keep the momentum going, commercial real estate brokers and investors alike advise investing in places for well-paid tech talent to live.
Rising rates and inflation are making it hard for foreign investors to assign correct valuations to assets. But experts say those are temporary setbacks and cross-border investment will rebound.
On this episode, Gunnar shared his insights on why the U.S. Real Estate Market continues to attract foreign investors.
Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have led bipartisan meetings with lawmakers over the last two weeks to explore potential areas of agreement for a scaled-back energy and climate legislative package before the midterm elections.
Foreign investors in commercial real estate have long preferred to place their money in a small handful of top-tier cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
For thirty years, AFIRE (Association for International Real Estate Investors) has conducted an annual survey to understand the goals, challenges and long-term thinking of international investors in U.S. real estate. Show host Michael Bull interviews AFIRE CEO Gunnar Branson on the results and insights from this year’s survey.
New favorites are emerging as international buyers plan bigger allocations this year.
Karen is the head of acquisitions for Allianz Real Estate, and has worked to invest in more than $25 billion of unlisted institutional real estate over the past 20 years. The first half of her career was oriented toward closed-end value-add and opportunistic fund investments in office, retail and multi-family assets across continental Europe. Since 2011, Karen has primarily focused on core and core-plus commercial investments in US gateway markets.
