The Great Real Estate Reset: Why Commercial Property Values Are Changing Forever

In this gripping episode of Rethink Real Estate, host Ben Brady, CEO of Harcourts Auctions, sits down with Christopher Drzyzga, Partner and Senior Vice President at Voit Real Estate Services, to unpack the contrarian outlook shaking up the real estate world. From commercial debt cycles to the rise of Bitcoin as a competing asset class, Chris brings a level of insight and candor few in the industry are willing to share.They start by diving into the state of U.S. commercial real estate — from industrial and office to retail and the surprising resilience of strip malls. Chris reveals why lenders are “extending and pretending,” how the industrial market in the Inland Empire is recalibrating, and why institutional capital is quietly chasing yield in unexpected asset types like industrial outdoor storage and small-format retail.The conversation then takes a sharp turn toward macro trends and financial history, as Chris lays out a bold thesis: that real estate’s five-decade run as the world’s default savings vehicle is ending. He connects the dots from Nixon’s 1971 decoupling from the gold standard to today’s fiat-driven asset inflation — arguing that Bitcoin now offers the same protection once reserved for property. Together, Ben and Chris explore the implications: what happens when trillions in real estate capital seek better yield elsewhere?From the looming “flight to quality” in commercial assets to generational shifts in homeownership philosophy, this episode challenges every assumption about where the real estate industry is heading. Whether you agree or not, it’s a must-listen for anyone serious about understanding the structural forces redefining how we measure value, store wealth, and invest for the next decade.Timestamps & Key Topics:[00:00:00] – Introducing Christopher Drzyzga and His Commercial Background[00:02:20] – How Commercial Agents See the Market Differently from Residential[00:05:30] – The Office Debt Bubble and “Controlled Demolition” in Lending[00:09:10] – The Industrial Corridor: Riverside, Rexford, and Inland Empire Trends[00:13:40] – Why Institutional Capital Is Targeting Strip Malls Again[00:17:50] – Data Centers, Power Constraints, and the Real Bottleneck in AI Infrastructure[00:24:00] – 2026 Market Outlook: Flight to Quality and Structural Shifts[00:26:30] – The Long View: Real Estate’s Five-Decade Inflation Tailwind[00:30:00] – Bitcoin as the New Safe Haven for Global Capital[00:35:00] – Generational Wealth Transfer and the “Home as Utility” Mindset[00:40:30] – How Agents Can Stay Relevant in the Age of Bitcoin and AI🔗 Related Resources Below:🌐 For more information on Harcourts Auctions our non-distressed auction platform feel free to visit https://www.harcourtsauctions.com🔗 Connect with Chris Drzyzga and Voit Real Estate Services:https://voitco.com/https://chrisdrzyzga.com/https://www.instagram.com/chrisdrzzz/?hl=enhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-drzyzga-sior-775b5051🔗 Connect with Ben Brady and Harcourts Auctions: ⁣https://www.facebook.com/Benbradyharcourts⁣ ⁣https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-brady-0b223517⁣ ⁣https://www.instagram.com/harcourtsauctions⁣ ⁣https://www.facebook.com/HarcourtsAuctions🎯 Subscribe for more market insights and provocative conversations on the forces shaping real estate, finance, and technology. Drop a comment below:➡️ Is Bitcoin the next real estate? Or just another bubble?