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January 12, 2026

What Smart CRE Players Are Doing Differently in 2026

By John Wharff, EP
By John Wharff, Executive Director – West Region, Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. | Published Jan. 12, 2026 on GlobeSt.com

After several years of disruption, from interest-rate shocks to shifting tenant expectations, commercial real estate is entering 2026 in a more stable but still selective environment. While uncertainty has eased, margins remain tighter, and capital is more cautious than in prior cycles. With less room to absorb surprises, fewer stakeholders can rely on market momentum to overcome execution missteps. As a result, owners, lenders, investors, and developers will share one key priority: data-driven, technical decision-making earlier in the process. Over the coming year, data gathered via engineering analysis, energy audits, and construction risk assessments will be central to how stakeholders manage risk, allocate capital, and position assets for leasing, refinancing, or disposition.

Across stakeholders, the defining shift in 2026 is a move away from optimism-based planning toward evidence-based execution. Engineering, energy, and construction risk management are proactive tools that enable data-driven investment, lending, and asset management decisions.

In a market where margins are thinner and tolerance for surprises is low, stakeholders who gather the data to understand how buildings actually perform are better positioned to manage risk, preserve value, and capture opportunity as conditions continue to evolve.

In this Globe St. article, John Wharff shares what smart CRE players are doing differently in 2026. Regardless of the stakeholder, the one common thread is fewer assumptions and more evidence.

About the Authors

John Wharff, EP

John Wharff, EP

Executive Director – West Region
John Wharff, EP has more than 20 years of experience in both the public and private environmental arenas conducting and managing environmental assessment and remediation projects. His project management breadth includes all phases of Environmental Site Assessments (ESA), peer reviews, soil and groundwater investigations, environmental remediation, permitting, hazardous waste management, compliance, and a multitude of field activities for commercial and government clients.

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