How can investors best position themselves in changing times? What are the key patterns guiding real estate investment heading into 2027?

Institutional investors are in the business of predicting the future, and one of their most valuable resources is the PwC Emerging Trends in Real Estate report. Produced jointly with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and drawing on perspectives from approximately 1,500 industry leaders and other real estate investment professionals, the 48th edition was released during ULI’s annual Fall Meeting in Miami.

Alongside such similar publications as the AFIRE Mid-Year Pulse Report, the report provides a clear picture of emerging market trends, investment opportunities, and the forces shaping the real estate landscape. To take a closer look at the 2027 edition, AFIRE podcast host Gunnar Branson spoke with PwC’s Emerging Trends Chair Andrew Alperstein and Peter Pollini, Financial Services Industry Leader at PwC US.

LINKS

LINKS: PwC Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2027 report https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/…

AFIRE Mid-Year Pulse Report https://www.afire.org/summit/2026midy…

Watch more episodes of the AFIRE podcast at our website or on YouTube. https://www.afire.org/podcast/

Register for AFIRE Events, like our Winter Conference on Feb. 15-17, 2027 in Miami. https://www.afire.org/events/upcoming… https://www.afire.org/events/winter27/

Interested in sponsoring AFIRE content? Check out our sponsorship options. https://www.afire.org/sponsorship/

KEY MOMENTS

00:00 Introduction
01:35 2027 title: “You Have to Work For It”
03:10 Results of new sentiment survey
04:15 New consensus around buying
06:30 New environment of US political risk
07:40 High rates and cost of operating
09:00 Survey methodology
12:05 Competition for allocation
13:20 Infrastructure performance
15:00 Data center and hyperscaler roadblocks
16:45 Capital migration away from multifamily and industrial
17:30 Effects of demographic changes
20:15 Energy investing priorities
22:50 Effects of political climate
24:20 Affordable housing legislation
26:20 Highlighted markets for 2027
29:35 Interest in data centers
32:15 Surprising trends for 2027
34:00 Position of real estate in the new economy
35:30 Continued story of growth in US
36:30 Closing thoughts

DISCLAIMER

The publisher of the AFIRE Podcast is not engaged in providing tax, accounting, or legal advice through this publication. No content published in the AFIRE Podcast is to be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell any asset. Some information included in the AFIRE Podcast has been obtained from third-party sources considered to be reliable, though the publisher is not responsible for guaranteeing the accuracy of third-party information. The opinions expressed in the AFIRE Podcast are those of its respective contributors and sources and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.

The AFIRE Podcast with Gunnar Branson is the official, multiple-award-winning podcast of AFIRE, the association for international real estate investors focused on commercial property in the United States.

Hosted by AFIRE CEO Gunnar Branson, the podcast features informative and in-depth conversations with experts across the full spectrum of real estate, investment, sustainability, economics, geopolitics, and urbanism with a focus on helping each other become Better Investors, Better Leaders, and Better Global Citizens. To learn more, visit afire.org/podcast