Data centers will continue their momentum in the US commercial real estate market, despite restrained construction activity in most other sectors, a new report from CBRE has said.. – Getty Images. According to the commercial real estate services firm’s 2026 US Real Estate Outlook Midyear Review report, the US market should hold its ground and in some cases improve in the second half of the year, despite tremors from conflicts in the Middle East driving high energy prices..
The report is an update on CBRE’s January forecast, a response to economic shifts and geopolitical issues that have impacted the US commercial real estate market.. Despite these challenges, the ongoing buildout of AI infrastructure is a “key pillar of demand” for the market, keeping it “resilient.”.
CBRE’s new predictions also suggest that industrial and logistics leasing will post a record year, something another real estate services firm, Cushman & Wakefield, tied to data center growth last month.. Additionally, CBRE said the office market would benefit from “soaring demand” from tech companies, as well as a resurgence in demand from financial and professional services..
The real estate services firm also said under-construction data centers will generate “an even higher preleasing rate,” predicting that they would reach 80 percent this year, up from its previous prediction of 75 percent, and well above historical ranges of 40 to 50 percent.. “The US real estate market has withstood economic and geopolitical headwinds this year and is well positioned for further growth,” said Henry Chin, CBRE’s global head of research.
“We’re seeing strong sectors like data centers and retail continue their momentum and recovering sectors like office and life sciences make further gains. Most sectors should benefit as geopolitical issues abate.”. Thank you for your North American news subscription.
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