It seems as though Amazon is in the headline of every news story, from their acquisition of Whole Foods to the hunt for their next headquarters location, this company is making big moves that will result in big changes for the commercial real estate industry.

It’s been an ongoing debate as to whether tenants are favoring the suburbs over the city. As we see more office campuses such as Toyota and Liberty Mutual pop up in suburban areas, the favorability of suburban markets is making headway when compared to the city. So, where are the offices?

Experts anticipate that the commercial real estate market will continue to be healthy going into 2018. As investors look to find the next property to add to their portfolio as the new year approaches, these are the five markets CRE investors should watch in 2018. From drastic headquarter moves to the increase in suburban office market interest, the time is now for investors to expand their portfolios.

Don’t expect landlords to rent out their commercial space to the first tenant who puts in an offer. In many cases, landlords have a lot of variables they consider when deciding to accept an offer to lease. This can include things such as background checks, reviewing tax returns, credit reports and references or even just connecting personally with a tenant. Here are five ways to vet a potential real estate tenant.

Sustainability in the real estate sector affects a large amount of companies. Sustainability is often referred to in residential real estate, with topics such as rain water harvesting, energy alternatives and recycling surfacing, but commercial real estate value can also be enhanced with sustainability efforts. Here’s how CRE developers are taking sustainability into account.

This year’s Convention was attended by over 500 professionals and established a record for first-time attendees with over 100 new NAI professionals in Carlsbad, as well as offices from China, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and a prospective affiliate from Saudi Arabia.

Over the course of the next few years, nearly 30% of all American malls are expected to close their doors and focus more heavily on online sales. It’s no big surprise that with the rise of offline to online shopping increasing at a fast pace, retailers are focusing their efforts on e-commerce business rather than the physical shopping experience. What’s to come of these empty shopping malls? New space for warehouses to launch e-commerce facilities.

Smart technology and the Internet of Things continue to make waves in the commercial real estate industry. For the multifamily specifically, smart sensor tech will change the way residents live and will enhance their way of life by offering new benefits. For other sectors such as retail, the sensor technology can help determine traffic flow. These are just a few of the reasons smart sensor tech is set to become a leading amenity in CRE.

Cutting-edge technology is essential for big-brands who want their retail empires to continue to succeed and outpace competitors in today’s (and probably tomorrow’s) retail landscape. E-commerce has created a shift in consumer wants and behaviors towards retail, however, the right technology can feed into those wants and positive behaviors.

Virtual reality (VR) is expected to make a $15.6 Billion impact on the economy in 2020, so it’s safe to say that this is less of a trend and more of a future way of life. Just as most technology and visual media disruptions have historically impacted commercial real estate – VR is no exception.

Maybe you are just starting a blog? Or maybe you have had a blog and you feel like you need a fresh approach? Regardless, there are best practices that every real estate pro should remember when it comes to blogging.