Industry leaders convened with policymakers at this week's Fall Roundtable Meeting to address national policies impacting commercial real estate and the broader economy.

Fall Roundtable Meeting

• The timely discussions focused on bipartisan opportunities in AI, immigration, and permitting reform; as well as tax policy; tariffs and trade relations, persistent inflation and energy costs, and housing supply affordability. (RER’s Fall 2025 Policy Priorities and Executive Summary)

• Permitting reform and electric grid reliability were top of mind throughout the meeting, with members and policymakers emphasizing the urgent need to modernize infrastructure to meet growing energy demand.

• The discussions coincided with a bipartisan letter sent to Congress from 13 governors led by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R), urging Congress to streamline federal permitting rules, expand interstate transmission, and accelerate the nation’s energy transition. (PoliticoPro | NGA Press Release, Oct. 28)

• RER Board Chair Kathleen McCarthy (Global Co-Head of Blackstone Real Estate, Blackstone) emphasized connectivity through Roundtable on the Road and member engagement in policy committees. “These touchpoints keep our priorities aligned and ensure we are speaking with one powerful, fact-based voice,” McCarthy said.

• RER President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer highlighted RER’s positive advocacy efforts around the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3), including preservation of carried interest, permanent Opportunity Zones, and expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. “Those outcomes only happen because of sustained, credible advocacy, backed by the expertise and perspectives our members bring to every discussion,” DeBoer said.

Speakers & Policy Issues

Roundtable members engaged in policy issue discussions with the following guests:

• Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) (Committees: Finance; Select Committee on Intelligence; Rules; Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry) discussed bipartisan cooperation on immigration reform, housing affordability, and fiscal policy, calling the nation’s housing situation “an affordability crisis.”

• Sharon Wilson Géno (President, National Multifamily Housing Council) highlighted the Housing Solutions Coalition’s work to educate policymakers on the consequences of rent control and promote data-driven, pro-housing reforms at federal and state levels.

• Rep. French Hill (R-AR) (Chair, House Financial Services Committee; Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence) outlined congressional priorities on capital formation, digital assets, simplifying federal regulation for community banks, and reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA).

• Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) (Committees: Financial Services; Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence) emphasized pragmatic governing coalitions to advance permitting and immigration reforms while maintaining fiscal discipline and strengthening global competitiveness.

• Ambassador Timmy Davis (Ret.) (Former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar; President & Partner, Irth Capital Management; Senior Advisor, Mavik Capital) and Vik Uppal (Founder and CEO, Mavik Capital) shared insights on international capital flows and global geopolitical factors influencing cross-border real estate investment.

Next on RER’s meeting calendar is the all-member State of the Industry (SOI) Meeting, which will include policy advisory committee sessions, on January 21–22, 2026, in Washington, DC.