Survival of the Fittest: The Future of the Distressed Office Building

As cities around the world struggle under the weight of distressed office buildings, it's imperative to distinguish the assets that will survive the tumultuous years ahead from the struggling properties that will be forced to restructure, convert, or be demolished outright. As office vacancy rates continue to rise, and with over $1.6 trillion of commercial real estate loans coming due by the end of 2026, many will default. In this session, a panel of experts with skin in the game look at distressed offices holistically to analyze the future of struggling or stranded assets and the alternative solutions designed to alleviate rising office vacancy rates. Topics include the looming threat of rising office vacancy rates; determining an office's potential for redevelopment, conversion, or demolition; assessing a property's viability for office-to-residential conversion; and the future of the office building and office conversions. The panel will include a leading architect in office-to-residential conversions, a CEO of a public office real estate investment trust, a high-profile investor, and a real estate leader who has navigated a successful office conversion.