BISNOW'S ECONOMIC TAKE

December 22, 2011 | 7:00 am ET Staff Reporter

Here's more from Bisnow's Future of Real Estate summit at the Ritz Carlton last week (see previous coverage here). Joel Flax from sponsor Dixon Hughes Goodman served as our moderator, impressing us with his gift of gab (even more so because he used to write prep sports as a teen... not as easy as it sounds, much like moderating econ development events). Joel is overseeing Dixon Hughes? construction and real estate services division, acknowledging that the Charlotte skyline doesn?t sport as many cranes as it used to—but that may not be such a bad thing. The Queen City had a quick ride up and an even quicker ride down, Joel tells us. ?Caution? may be the buzzword for '12, he says. ?People are being more judicious.?

Argus Development Group's Tom Corduray (a Bisnow panelist) flips through a few notes as he describes his ?guarded optimism? for the coming year. Argus has been buying land in the Charlotte region and is waiting for opportunity to meet inclination. Many would-be retail prospects have curtailed expansion plans, he says. That's as much a function of the current state of the CRE market as it is the mounting online buying habits. Who's winning right now? Big box retailers, he says. ?For the mom-and-pops to be successful, they have to follow the big guys.?

Among the 150 CRE pros attending were the Knox Group's Charles Knox, SouthEast Commercial Real Estate's Larry Core, and the Knox Group's Gary Knox (yes, Charles and Gary are cousins). Larry, who specializes in land sales, says he's optimistic about the market. What's hot right now? Infill land. Even small parcels are attracting attention. ?Everything is picking up,? he tells us.

BISNOW'S ECONOMIC TAKE

Continue reading this story with a free account

Sign in