A sell-out crowd gathered at Myers Park Country Club to hear more about the 2017 Emerging Trends in Real Estate Report, on November 16, 2016.  A presentation by Kathleen Carey, CEO of the ULI Foundation was followed by a panel moderated by Brian Leary of Crescent Communities, and included:  Steve Gassaway, Cushman & Wakefield; Brendan Pierce, The Keith Corporation; Jim Merrifield, MPV Properties; and Kathleen Rose, Rose & Associates.  Some of the points discussed included:

–             The Charlotte Market fell from #3 in the survey to #9.  Why?
–             The new theme for 2017 is “a kinder, gentler cycle”
–             Key trends:  Optionality, Housing Affordability, Labor Scarcity and Construction Costs.
–             How does the Charlotte area attract the millennials and keep them?  Can we move from a “banking” to an “entrepreneurial” community?
–             Future in development (in Charlotte and beyond) – big discussion about connectivity and parking.  What is the right mix for developments?
–             The speed to market and evolution of product types like retail and industrial is like never before.
–             To create resilient communities, we need leadership to shift how market is perceived. Charlotte was built on business leadership – partnerships between public private are critical to our future.
–             We don’t have as much home grown talent as cities such as competing cities. We need to add higher education to attract (and keep) talent.  Medical School?

To view the PowerPoint from the presentation, click here.

To view the entire Emerging Trends in Real Estate report, click here.