The Weekly Take from CBRE

Alex Mehran Jr., CEO of a third-generation family developer, walks us through the transformation of Bishop Ranch—a master-planned community in San Ramon, CA. Mehran shares valuable lessons on reinventing a suburban office park into a vibrant, mixed-use destination.

Mixed-use suburban developments are gaining strong appeal.
· Amenity-rich office space drives tenant demand and retention.
· Short-term, flexible leases can dovetail well with corporate occupier’s needs.
· Residential conversions of obsolete suburban office parks can enhance long-term asset value.
· Planned communities thrive with diverse housing and retail integration.

Alison Fragale, author of the provactively titled “Likeable Bad Ass," breaks down the science of status—offering practical advice on how leaders can use warmth and competence to drive respect and gain greater influence.
Key Takeaways:
1. Status—being respected and regarded—leads to influence, access to resources, and career advancement.
2. People judge quickly, and have high regard for those who are well-intentioned and competent.
3. Hard work needs to be seen to ensure effort is valued.
4. You can leverage “swing thoughts” to improve your career. [SI1]

[SI1]Do not really understand this. Remind me what “swing thoughts” are

Wharton organizational psychologist and New York Times-bestselling author Adam Grant shares insights on making better business decisions, fostering innovation and how your personal "challenge network” can lead to superior products and delight your customers.

1. Encourage[SI1] Humor and Humility: They help maintain a flexible and open-minded approach, making it easier to rethink and adapt.
2. Have Pre-Mortems: Discuss as many potential failures as possible before launching. That way you can prevent or know how to handle problems when they occur.
3. Eschew Best Practices for Better Practices: “Best Practices” implies there’s only one right way, while seeking “Better Practices” encourages people to innovate and try new things.
4. Build a Challenge Network: Maintain a group of trusted critics who provide truly honest feedback to improve your decision-making.
5. Reward Speaking Truth to Power: Encourage employees to ask questions, suggest improvements and challenge outdated ideas.

[SI1]Please run these by Adam

Jamie Hodari, CBRE's CEO of Building Operations & Experience, spotlights where he sees the biggest opportunity across commercial real estate: workplace experience. He discusses how a company’s space can attract tenants and enhance the employee experience, enriching people’s lives and increasing business effectiveness.


Everything is operational real estate: Real estate companies are evolving from asset focused businesses to operating platforms, requiring high-quality management relentlessly focused on workplace experience.
AI and data utilization are no longer nice-to-haves: Using AI to manage and interpret data is crucial for optimizing building operations.
Markets are adapting to accommodate hybrid work models with flexible office usage: Urban markets especially put significant emphasis on making downtown areas vibrant.
Finance institutions are catching up: The finance industry must recognize and adapt to the operational nature of modern real estate.
Flight-to-quality is expanding: The focus for landlords and occupiers will increasingly be on creating spaces that people find enriching and valuable, not just functional.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Josh Myerberg breaks down the 2026 real estate outlook, why quality assets and operational excellence matter, and where savvy investors are finding opportunity now. Don’t miss these timely insights from one of the industry’s top portfolio strategists.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management is optimistic about 2026, driven by expectations of lower interest rates and resilient real estate fundamentals.
Quality matters more than ever—top-performing assets and strong operators are expected to outperform, while tertiary markets and lower-tier properties carry greater risks.
Retail real estate has made a strong comeback, and high-quality office space is showing positive momentum, especially in major markets like San Francisco and New York.
Operational excellence and risk management—including attention to emerging risks—are critical for long-term portfolio success.
Diversification remains key: even the best assets need to fit together strategically to reduce volatility and capture growth opportunities.