Consolidation Is Commercial Real Estate’s Future

Commercial real estate isn’t in freefall, but it’s certainly in flux. Transaction volumes have slowed, capital is more cautious, and operating costs are climbing. Even as demand remains steady in certain sectors, the traditional real estate playbook is being re-examined in real time.

Some may ask, “Why have so many real estate deals dragged in recent years?” Well, too often, the left hand doesn’t know what the right is building.

The real estate industry has long been built around disconnected functions with brokers on one end, facility managers on the other, and investors somewhere in between. In a bullish market, that friction was tolerable. Today, it’s expensive. When real estate projects stall, it’s not just developers who lose. Missed economic momentum in our communities sets us all back.

At Robinson Park, a commercial real estate firm managing $2.8 billion in assets across the Midwest, we’ve spent the past year reflecting on how best to adapt to macroeconomic trends and our clients’ evolving expectations. The conclusion was clear: Fully integrated real estate firms must deliver not only scale, but also speed, insight and cohesion across every touchpoint.

This belief led us to consolidate multiple affiliated companies — brokerage, development, design/build and facility management — under one name and structure. The goal wasn’t to create a headline. It was to remove friction. Fewer handoffs. More accountability. Faster timelines. Clearer communication. In a cautious market, this kind of alignment isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.

Over the past decade, the commercial real estate industry has celebrated specialization, which has served clients well in times of growth. But as we navigate the post-2023 reset, firms are being asked to do more with less: more services, more certainty, more strategy — all with fewer inefficiencies and overlapping relationships. This requires integrated platforms where capital decisions, construction schedules and leasing strategies are connected, not siloed.

We’re seeing this shift in conversations with institutional investors, who no longer ask about building specs alone. They want to know how facilities will be maintained post-construction, what analytics guide our site selection and how quickly we can turn around a development concept without sacrificing quality. That level of integration and transparency is what today’s investors expect, shaping the new standard.

CRE markets across the nation sit at an important crossroads. As interest from outside capital continues to grow, especially in sectors like industrial, retail and multi-tenant office, local developers and operators must be prepared to deliver national-level sophistication with the responsiveness of a regional partner. It’s no longer enough to have “experience.” Clients are evaluating how well we can orchestrate projects from strategy through execution, with data-driven insight at every phase.

This is especially true in mid-market cities like Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Kansas City, where real estate decisions have a deeper community impact and a smaller margin for inefficiency. Streamlining services isn’t about eliminating specialization, it’s about bringing it together under one accountability framework. That’s how trust is built in today’s climate.

While every firm must chart its own path, I believe that consolidation, when done thoughtfully, is one of the strongest ways commercial real estate companies can prepare for what’s next. It empowers teams to move with purpose, gives clients clarity and brings strategic rigor to a business environment where real estate can no longer operate on autopilot.

In real estate, the old saying is “location, location, location,” but these days it’s just as much about how we adapt and respond. Those of us leading in this space must continue to ask hard questions about structure, responsiveness and long-term value — not just for our portfolios, but also for the communities we serve.

The future of real estate belongs to the firms that move like their clients — faster, leaner and smarter. In 2025, integration isn’t a trend. It’s strategic. We’re not just building buildings, we’re reshaping how the industry works.

Mark Beffort is CEO of investor and development firm Robinson Park.