Markets Surge, AI Booms, and CRE Activity Shows Resilience Even with Geopolitical Volatility and Fed-Policy Uncertainty

It’s a milestone week at The CRE Weekly Digest—our one-year anniversary and 52nd episode. From launch day to today, we’ve unpacked the headlines, challenged assumptions, and surfaced the trends that matter most for CRE professionals navigating uncertainty. This episode is no different. 

Markets are running hot, with stocks brushing all-time highs despite risks from Middle East volatility to tariff headwinds and the Powell–Trump standoff. Is it optimism or selective amnesia? Manus calls it like he sees it, with Dianne and Martha weighing in on rate cut speculation, earnings compression, and investor fatigue.

In CRE, conviction is showing up in the form of major bets: a $211M construction loan in Miami’s Edgewater, a Manhattan office-to-resi conversion, and a surge in data center demand, even as zoning friction and energy strain rise. Cincinnati tops rent growth rankings, and Walmart experiments with dark stores and drone delivery.

We also give an advance look at the latest LightBox CRE Activity Index and spotlight the metros showing real momentum in environmental due diligence.

And finally, a big thank you to our listeners—from NYC to Singapore—for showing up, weighing in, and pushing the conversation forward every week. Here’s to the next 52 episodes.

00:52 Geopolitical Tensions and Market Reactions

07:03 Interest Rates and Economic Outlook

12:29 New York City Mayoral Election and Potential Fallout

19:14 The Rise of Data Centers in the AI Era

24:57 Gyms are Back and Part of the Amenity Draw

27:39 Bold Moves in Multifamily and Office-Resi

35:11 Innovations in Retail: Dark Stores and Drone Delivery

37:00 Celebrating One Year of Insights with the Pod Team

Have questions for the pod team? Send them to Podcast@LightBoxRE.com. 

www.lightboxre.com