Heartland Real Estate Business • January 2024 • 4

Each year in our January issues, we feature the results from our reader forecast survey. For the second year in a row, brokers and developers select-ed interest rates as the factor that will have the most impact on the commer-cial real estate industry. The majority of brokers (63 percent) expect interest rates to remain relatively unchanged during the next 12 months, but nearly 23 percent anticipate rates decreasing. While brokers are weary of the of-ce sector, most expect the industrial and multifamily sectors to experi-ence a high velocity of sales activity in 2024. In the developer, owner and manager portion of the survey, 50 per-cent of respondents anticipated being net buyers of commercial real estate properties in 2024. Our January issue also includes a general contractor outlook. The high interest rate environment and tighten-ing lending requirements have led to a slowdown in new project starts. But deals are still getting done — they just might take more time and creativity to pencil out. Based on their current backlogs, Midwest general contractors expect to obtain robust revenues in 2024. They also emphasize the importance of the preconstruction phase in assisting PUBLISHERS’ NOTE ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITIES PERSIST January 2024 • Volume 22, Issue 5 FRANCE MEDIA, INC. Jerry France ............... Chairman & CEO/Publisher Scott France .................... President/Co-Publisher Scott Philp ......................... Chief Financial Ofﬁ cer Jaime Lackey .......VP, Marketing & Digital Strategy Randall Shearin .......... SVP, Editorial & Operations Jerry France Publisher Scott France Co-Publisher EDITORIAL Matt Valley ...............Editorial Director, Real Estate Regionals Kristin Harlow ..............................................Editor John Nelson ................................. Assistant Editor Jeff Shaw ..................................... Assistant Editor Taylor Williams...............................Assistant Editor Julie Hunt...................................Graphic Designer Nick Topolski ..............................Graphic Designer their clients with navigating budgets and timelines. Contributors in this month’s issue discuss the Kansas City and St. Louis markets, and assess the fundamentals of various property types within the two-state region. We also have a Q&A with the newly appointed president of CREW Chicago, Sophie Bidek. Our Entertainment Experience Evolution conference is fast approach-ing in February. Turn to pages 12-13 to see a list of con rmed speakers at this can’t-miss retail entertainment event. Our InterFace Conference Group has a full calendar of events teed up for the new year. Newly scheduled is our 16th annual Student Housing confer-ence, which will take place April 24-26 in Austin, Texas. ADVERTISING Scott France .................................... Co-Publisher Barbara Sherer ...............................Media Advisor INTERFACE CONFERENCE GROUP Richard Kelley ..................... Senior Vice President Kelly Moustafa..................Conference Coordinator Andria Gibson.......................Conference Manager Yohan Lee........Conference Marketing Coordinator CIRCULATION AND ADMINISTRATION Teresa Hennington ........................Ofﬁ ce Manager Carol Spach.....Director of Audience Development Heartland Real Estate Business (ISSN 1542-8311) is published monthly by France Publications, Inc., d/b/a France Media, Inc., 3535 Piedmont Rd. NE, Suite 950, Atlanta, GA 30305. Telephone (404) 832-8262, facsimile (404) 832-8260. E-mail: heartland@francemediainc. com. Periodicals postage paid at Atlan-ta, GA, and additional mailing of ces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Heartland Real Estate Business, P.O. Box 308, Skokie, IL 60076. Heartland Real Estate Business is a registered trademark of France Pub-lications, Inc. Subscription rates: USA 1 year $65; 2 years: $112. Single copies are $10. For subscriber services, in-cluding change of address or subscrip-tions, please email HREB@omeda.com or call (855) 736-2644. ©2024 France Publications, Inc. For reprints or to photocopy articles, please contact Barbara Sherer at (404) 832-8262. The opinions and statements made by authors, contributors and advertis-ers to Heartland Real Estate Business are not necessarily those of the editors and publishers. KANSAS CITY | MIDWEST | NATIONWIDE INVESTMENTS | SALE-LEASEBACKS | SITE SELECTION & ANALYSIS | BUILD-TO-SUITS Scan to view Listings BLOCK & COMPANY, INC., REALTORS | 605 W. 47th Street, Ste. 200, Kansas City, MO 64112 816.753.6000 | www.blockandco.com 4 • January 2024 • Heartland Real Estate Business www.REBusinessOnline.com