CARNM

Younger multifamily residents are serious about seamless access, security and transparency. They want to know how data is used, who is allowed to enter a space and what controls are in place for a property’s visitors and deliveries.

For commercial property managers and real estate agents, understanding younger audiences is vital in appealing to the next wave of workers, renters and homeowners. Features such as app-driven interfaces and seamless integration have become essential to Gen Z clients. Their core expectations around transparency and technology are influencing their buying decisions and will be a deciding factor when it comes time to invest in property.

Access systems that emphasize transparency and intentionality help improve the appeal of residential buildings, commercial office buildings, hotels, schools and everything in between. These features will become mandatory expectations as Gen Z grows to encompass a larger share of the workforce and becomes a key decision-maker in real estate investments.

Few other demographics have driven such a shift in operational execution. Real estate professionals must incorporate emerging trends and account for modern sensibilities to maintain their position in the market.

Digital Natives in a Tech-driven World

Gen Z will soon account for 30% of the workforce, shaping trends and innovations driven by their evolving preferences.

Even the oldest members of this generation, at 28 years old, would have come of age during the rise of the smartphone. They have spent most of their lives a few taps and swipes away from viewing or buying whatever they want, and this ubiquity has shaped how they interact with both physical and digital environments.

In prior decades, consumer technology was either recreational or productive. Those raised in the late 2000s and 2010s have only ever experienced the modern blending of these categories, where mobile phones are used for everything from digital content creation to managing social media empires.

Research shows this cohort expects technology to be built into their everyday lives. Entering a building or managing deliveries in shared residential areas should be fast, easy to use and seamless. Properties that incorporate smart access credentials and centralized management platforms match young people’s preferences for smart buildings and data-driven ecosystems, positioning themselves as future-ready and responsive to evolving expectations.

Transparency as a Baseline

Having grown up in an environment shaped by social media and instant access to information, Gen Z is more than willing to verify claims and question processes before making a decision.

For real estate professionals, this translates into a strong preference for clear, upfront communication. Young renters want to understand why decisions are made, and vague information or unclear answers can create immediate feelings of distrust.

Their expectations of transparency are most visible in areas such as:

• Costs and fees: Clear breakdowns of figures such as rent, maintenance, utilities and additional costs build essential confidence early in the decision-making process.
• Access policies and building rules: Younger residents are serious about security. They want to know who is allowed to enter a space and what controls are in place for visitors and deliveries.
• Use of security technology and data: Though comfortable with robust security infrastructure, they expect to understand which technologies are in place and how data is handled.

Transparency, privacy and disclosure are crucial when it comes to CCTV cameras. It benefits building owners to openly communicate compliance and data retention standards, as well as responsible deployment considerations, particularly to younger tech-savvy tenants.

Proactive honesty and clear expectations align with Gen Z’s values, helping reduce hesitation throughout the leasing or purchasing journey.

Seamless Access Matters More Than Ever

Convenience is a double-edged sword. Mobile banking, electronic wallets and polished app-based services have instilled a reliance on speed among Gen Z, to the point that any friction can lead to frustration and abandonment. Control and confidence are easy to cultivate with intuitive, responsive systems.

Expedient design is a must for both tenant management software and physical ports of entry. Young renters prioritize systems that offer:

• Mobile-first access: Digital credentials and app-based interactions fit this generation’s idea of how everyday services should operate. Physical keys and manual processes seem slow in comparison.
• Consistent experiences across the building: Accessing their building or block should work the same way as entering a shared communal area, or amenities like on-site gyms, to reduce friction and confusion.
• Visible security: Technology like CCTV cameras reinforces a sense of safety and oversight, building trust with tenants while increasing operational awareness for security teams.
• Responsive resolution: Access issues, and more broadly any tenant queries, should be easy to log digitally and should provide clear updates on how and when the problem will be addressed.

The long-term appeal of property, be it residential or commercial, is tied to the adoption of smart building philosophies. Far from simply appealing to a growing market, these technologies leverage data and insights to help managers run their businesses, adapt dynamically to meet tenant needs and generate stakeholder value across the board.

Source: “How to Build Trust with Gen Z Tenants, Future Investors“

Commercial real estate work has a quiet but brutal statistic attached to it.

Roughly 80% of new commercial real estate agents will leave the business within two years. Eight out of ten will not make it. The number surprises newcomers, but it should not. When compared with new business startups, the attrition rate is nearly identical.

And that comparison is appropriate because a commercial real estate brokerage is akin to a startup. Every new agent is essentially launching a small business without a guaranteed salary, without a defined strategy and often without the infrastructure needed to survive the early years.

Yet we rarely talk about it that way.

Instead, the industry continues to recruit aggressively, vet loosely and train inconsistently. The result is predictable: churn.

Recruiting is easy, development is hard

Most brokerages are very good at recruiting but far less effective at developing their teams. That is not a criticism; it is a structural reality.

Recruiting is scalable. Mentoring is not.

Training programs often focus on mechanics. Contracts, terminology, databases and market reports. Coaching, when it exists, is frequently episodic rather than systematic. True mentoring, where an experienced professional is invested in another person’s long term success, is increasingly rare.

The missing ‘why?’

Most new agents enter commercial real estate without a clearly articulated “why?”

They can explain what they want to do. They can describe what they hope to earn. They often talk about flexibility, upside or entrepreneurship.

But ask them the why of this business, and the answers are usually vague.

Office Demand Shifts and Divergence

The Marcus & Millichap office investment forecast for 2026 signals that the US office sector has moved past its lowest point but is recovering unevenly. In 2025, office absorption hit its strongest mark since 2019, with nearly 85M SF absorbed nationwide and occupancy growth in 43 of the top 50 office markets.

However, elevated vacancies persist, especially in large coastal metros dominated by outdated properties. Secondary and select suburban markets in the Southeast are returning to pre-pandemic levels more quickly, while the flight to higher-quality, modernized buildings continues to define new leasing activity.

Supply Pipeline at Record Lows

The supply side of the office sector is emerging as a structural benefit. Just 51M SF was under construction nationwide entering 2026, equating to only 0.6% of inventory. With most new projects delivered as build-to-suit, and tight development financing cooling further additions, the office investment forecast anticipates continued supply discipline. This dynamic is seen as key to reducing vacancy and limiting downside risks in stabilizing markets.

After outgrowing its previous space, a national environmental services firm expanded its local footprint with a new, larger lease within one of Albuquerque’s premier office buildings.

Hazen and Sawyer took possession of its new, approximately 3,200-square-foot office space on the fourth floor of 100 Sun Ave. NE at the beginning of January, according to Senior Principal Administrator Brenda Kearl. Its previous location was on the second floor of the same office building.

Based in New York, Hazen and Sawyer partners with local utilities and communities to plan, design and protect critical water resources.

“(Locally) Hazen helps address the unique challenges of the arid Southwest through projects that improve water quality, strengthen infrastructure and enhance resilience to drought and climate variability,” Kearl said.

The firm made the move up two floors of the Sun Avenue office building to create additional offices and workstations for its growing Albuquerque team.

Hazen and Sawyer has a 5-year lease term for the new space and declined to disclose its lease payment.

Hazen and Sawyer spent several months evaluating options for this office expansion with the help of an internal commercial real estate broker, Kearl said.

Ultimately, 100 Sun Avenue’s central Albuquerque location, accessibility and modern, high-quality office environment made it an ideal fit for the firm.

The new office has a more open layout than its previous space and more workstations to support current and future employees.

It also includes a larger conference room and break area, which the environmental services firm believes will enhance collaboration, client meetings and office gatherings.

JWB Solutions and Arches Architecture played roles in planning, designing and completing the tenant improvements for the new office, Kearl said. AIC General Contractor also helped with the tenant improvements, according to the City of Albuquerque Planning Department.

Shóna Martinez and Scott Whitefield of CBRE are the listing brokers for the property. The 183,000-square-foot office building has approximately 28,000 square feet of available space, according to a Commercial Association of Realtors New Mexico listing.

Source: “National environmental services firm expands footprint in premier ABQ office building”