Category: Spotlight Content

The New England Real Estate Journal is pleased to announce participation opportunities for our upcoming Industrial Review 2026, a special publication highlighting the people, projects and properties shaping New England’s industrial real estate market.

NEREJ’s 2026 Mid Year Review Spotlight is here! This special section features perspectives from across commercial real estate as firms reflect on the first half of the year and discuss the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the months ahead.

What projects, initiatives, or types of work have been keeping your team busiest during the first half of 2026? Recently, our firm has been busy being a client ourselves. For 15 years, we have worked with property owners, developers, institutions, and businesses providing brokerage, appraisal, and advisory services across Rhode Island & Southern Massachusetts.

What projects, initiatives, or types of work have been keeping your team busiest during the first half of 2026? The first half of 2026 has been largely focused on improving and reinvesting in our buildings. We’ve undertaken a number of upgrades to our common areas, amenities, and infrastructure, all aimed at enhancing the tenant experience with Saunders Real Estate and keeping our properties well-positioned in the market.

What projects, initiatives, or types of work have been keeping your team busiest during the first half of 2026? The first half of 2026 has kept us busy on both sides of the table, representing tenants and landlords across Rhode Island’s industrial, retail, and flex markets.

 What challenges or opportunities have had the biggest impact on your business during the first half of 2026? The multifamily market continues to represent a significant portion of our work, creating strong opportunities for growth and long-term partnerships.

What projects, initiatives, or types of work have been keeping your team busiest during the first half of 2026? The 1031 exchange market has been robust in the first half of 2026, even while interests have remained elevated for the past few years. So, while the typical forward 1031 exchange is still quite active, we have seen a greater awareness and knowledge of the various types of 1031 exchanges by investors.

What trends or shifts have stood out most to you so far this year within your industry? Dramatic technologic shifts are taking place that are profoundly impacting on real estate valuation. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Impacts. Appraisers – both residential and commercial - need to confront the challenges and opportunities that the full emergence of Artificial Intelligence bring as an essential tool.

What challenges or opportunities have had the biggest impact on your business during the first half of 2026? Hesitancy is a forbidden word, but it also creates opportunities for landlords and tenants. Opportunities to refit and freshen existing spaces, renegotiate lease extensions and expand in place which can be a boon to tenants - moving is expensive, time consuming and disruptive.

What trends or shifts have stood out most to you so far this year within your industry? The entrance of institutional buyers into the Industrial Outdoor Storage market has created challenges for tenants. These tenants have tended to be our clients, since we are focused on working with operating companies rather than investment groups.

Hingham, MA A sharp edge is treated with a rounder curve. A bold typeface gives way to something more conversational. A cool purple warms up a few degrees. These subtle changes Ellis Realty Advisors (ERA) made to its visual identity in 2026 reflect the way ERA has always approached its work, with an emphasis on accessibility, curiosity, and a dedication to service that gets results for their clients. Now mid-way through 2026, the work the refresh made possible is well underway.

What trends or shifts have stood out most to you so far this year within your industry? We have also taken a hard look at how we work with our subcontractor partners and the answer, more than anything, comes down to relationships. In an uncertain market, the contractors who get the best pricing, the most reliable commitments, and the most responsive teams are the ones subs want to work with.