Commercial property sales of between $5 million and $25 million have increased 3.5% in the first half of 2025, driven by multifamily, industrial and retail assets, according to Green Street. Although deal volume remains 27% below the 2022 peak, momentum is returning, with regional banks playing a crucial role in financing.

MCB Real Estate plans to begin a $1 billion redevelopment of Baltimore's Harborplace in the fall of 2026. replacing the mostly vacant pavilions at the Inner Harbor with a mixed-use complex featuring residential buildings, retail space and a park. The project is being built by Whiting-Turner and designed by Gensler.

Hines Global Income Trust bought a Houston mixed-use property known as Montrose Collective for $137.6 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The project was completed in 2022 and is fully leased, with both office and retail space. Separately, Brixmor Property Group recently acquired LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch in Katy, Texas, for $233 million.

BXP has pursued a creative, multi-pronged outreach effort for its Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, a strategy that has attracted a group of vibrant, local retail businesses to the property. "Almost all of these business owners are either San Francisco natives, or they've lived here for a long time, or they have a couple other locations in local neighborhoods and they're interested in what downtown has to offer," says BXP's Christine Yuen.

North Texas cities like Frisco and McKinney -- among the fastest-growing in the country -- are drawing major investments from grocery chains. Both Whole Foods Market and H-E-B are opening stores in these high-growth areas, with Whole Foods building a new Frisco store and another location opening soon in McKinney, while H-E-B is making plans for more stores in the area as it expands its footprint in its home state.

Lowe's will acquire Foundation Building Materials, a leading distributor of drywall, insulation, and other interior building products for residential and commercial professionals, with about 370 locations in North America, in a deal valued at $8.8 billion. This move is part of Lowe's ongoing strategy to expand its offerings and presence with home professionals, a customer segment viewed as more stable and profitable amid a challenging home improvement market. The deal follows Lowe's recent acquisition of Artisan Design Group. The retailer reported a 1.1% increase in second-quarter same-store sales and raised its full-year guidance.

TJX, the parent of off-price banners T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls, reported strong consumer demand in the second quarter, with customer transactions increasing in every division across both its domestic and international businesses. CEO Ernie Herrman noted continued robust demand and a positive start to the third quarter, reflecting confidence in the company's ability to attract shoppers despite tariff pressures and a competitive retail environment.

Companies are using technology such as satellites, AI and drones to detect wildfire risk and hurricane vulnerabilities. For example, Site Technologies uses drones to survey properties. "When you have hundreds or thousands of properties, it was never really a viable option to be able to get a snapshot, on an annual basis, of your facilities until technology like this," said Austin Rabine, CEO of Site Technologies, which works with real estate companies, retailers and others.

Watch Henry Winkler talk about himself as Fonzie doing a literal interpretation of the Hein idiom.