Media

Real Estate companies interested in providing more economic opportunities to businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans and other under-represented groups can participate in a national “supplier diversity” program initiated by The Roundtable in coalition with allied trade associations. Other stories in Roundtable Weekly include CRE markets & the Fed, along with a tribute to former Roundtable Chairman Nelson Rising, who passed away on Feb. 9.

The House of Representatives passed legislation this week requiring all federal agencies to revert to pre-pandemic telework office arrangements. Other stories this week focus on a new proposed EPA label for low-carbon buildings, and CRE capital & credit trends.

The Real Estate Roundtable’s 2023 State of the Industry (SOI) Meeting this week included policy discussions with national lawmakers on issues affecting commercial real estate—including the debt ceiling, affordable housing, tax policy, climate regulations, market conditions, and evolving security threats. A special Roundtable joint committee meeting also analyzed the opportunities presented by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the ways CRE companies are navigating the law’s clean energy tax incentives. Also in this issue -- Workplace Return, Homeland Security, and Housing Policy stories.

The Real Estate Roundtable yesterday urged its membership—leaders of the nation’s top publicly held and privately owned real estate ownership, development, lending and management firms—to contact federal lawmakers to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the U.S. reached the maximum amount it can legally borrow yesterday, and that “extraordinary measures” would allow the country to continue paying its bills, but only until early June. Other issues covered this week focus on the negative impact of remote work on cities, along with stories on EPA climate policy and the Fed's climate risk exercise.

Legislation introduced in the House this week would require all federal agencies to revert to pre-pandemic office arrangements that were in effect on December 31, 2019 and give employees 30 days to return to their offices. The bill, if enacted, would also require the Biden administration to provide Congress with a plan to mitigate the negative impacts of remote work and report on agencies’ plans for federal property leases. Other Roundtable Weekly stories this week cover the looming debt ceiling and new House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO).

Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Browser this week reiterated views expressed by The Real Estate Roundtable to President Biden about getting more federal workers back to the workplace and converting underutilized commercial real estate spaces into affordable housing. Also, stories on the 118th Congress and new rules affecting taxation of foreign investment in U.S. real estate.

This week, rising U.S. office vacancy rates were the focus of several media reports as a result of the ongoing, negative impact of hybrid work arrangements. Additional Roundtable Weekly stories cover Beneficial Ownership and LIBOR.