In our latest roundup, nonresidential spending drops, realtor payment structure changes, office vacancy rates soar, and more!

• A decline in mortgage rates and a drop in housing prices are giving buyers a potential path to securing homeownership. (Omar Mohammed, Newsweek)
• Starting August 17, new rules will roll out that overhaul the way Realtors get paid to help people buy and sell their homes. (Samantha Delouya, CNN)
• Spending dropped in almost half of nonresidential subcategories in June with the decrease stemming from higher interest rates, tighter credit conditions and a softening economy. (Sebastian Obando, Construction Dive)
• Net absorption for the office sector remains negative, with more office space being vacated than occupied in the second quarter and vacancy rates reaching a record high of 13.8%. (Joe Burns, Facilities Dive)
• In Q2 2024, hotels in the total pipeline grew 9% annually, with extended stay remaining popular and upper midscale leading other segments. (Jenna Walters, Hotel Dive)
• A growing number of office buildings have found second lives as apartments, boosted by the COVID-era work-from-home movement that slashed office attendance and thinned out cities’ downtowns. (Samantha Delouya, CNN)
• From cash management to resident engagement, artificial intelligence (AI) can play a transformative role in commercial real estate. (Reny Simon, J.P. Morgan)

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