What new trends will we see with multifamily housing in Los Angeles during the coming year? Or will the status quo continue? Will rents rise again? Will vacancy rates remain low? Will we experience more apartment building construction? Dr. Raphael Bostic is well-equipped to help us answer these questions at the BH/GLAAR 2014 Commercial Real Estate Expert Panel on September 9, 2014. Dr. Bostic served three years at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and is a founding Director of USC’s Casden Real Estate Economic Forecast.

What about financing for commercial real estate acquisitions and development? Will lending conditions improve for investors and development entrepreneurs? Will interest rates rise? What about LTVs and DSCRs? Bryan Hamilton, Vice President with City National Bank, will help attendees navigate the anticipated trends in commercial lending.

Which commercial real estate industry segments will offer the best opportunities for commercial brokerages and their associates? Multifamily has been king, but will it continue its reign? Will the industrial warehouse market sustain its strength? Will the attractive CAP Rates in retail properties attract more investors, or will Internet sales continue to temper acquisition activity? Office vacancy rates are slowly falling, but will new trends in “shared” and “open” space office environments keep the lid on corporate square foot expansion? We’ll hear Erik Coffin, CEO of Gotham Construction, discuss these emerging trends.

Commercial property management has been a good business for many real estate professionals, but government regulation continues to produce important challenges in California and Los Angeles. It’s critical to learn how property management legal matters will affect multifamily properties and commercial strip centers, and James Engel, Co-Founder of Golden Estate Management, is the right guy to answer these questions.

Social media and digital real estate marketing continue to dominate sales growth strategies for many commercial real estate practitioners. Sergio Gonzalez, CEO of 3Sixty Strategies will help attendees at the Expert Panel event understand how to employ these technologies to grow their businesses.

To learn more about commercial real estate trends and forecasts, and opportunities and investments, take advantage of the many resources and events offered by the BH/GLAAR Commercial Real Estate Committee. Visit BHGLAAR.com or call the Association at (310) 967-8800.

Brian Brubaker, Chairman

BH/GLAAR Commercial Committee