### Connect Orange County 2025: Insights, Uncertainty, and Market Resilience
A sold-out crowd gathered at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine for **Connect Orange County 2025**, eager to hear expert insights on the Southern California and Orange County real estate markets. Marking **Connect’s 10-year anniversary** as a leading CRE conference platform, the event featured five panels covering local and national market trends, predictions, and the current economic and political landscape. The one-day event concluded with the **Lifetime Achievement Award**, which was presented to **Guy Johnson of Johnson Capital Advisors**.
### Managing Uncertainty in CRE
While uncertainty loomed large among both panelists and attendees, some voices encouraged patience and optimism. Joe Vargas of **Wonderful Real Estate** highlighted the difficulty in predicting market shifts, particularly in light of trade tariffs and ongoing policy changes. “For anyone who thinks they have this all figured out, well, that’s just a bunch of… Nobody has this figured out right now. It’s going to take time to get out of this, but we will and regenerate,” Vargas shared.
His panel discussion on the **Southern California Industrial Market**, moderated by Julian Freeman of **Cox, Castle & Nicholson**, also featured insights from **Adam Candler of BKM Capital Partners** and **Paul Jones of Bridge Logistics Properties**.
Jones pointed out the disruptive impact of tariffs, emphasizing that uncertainty leads to stagnation. “People are waiting to see what the tariffs are going to look like. All they do is create uncertainty, and with uncertainty comes pause—and pause isn’t good for us,” he said.
### The Changing Workplace Dynamics
Another engaging discussion revolved around talent acquisition and retention, led by **Berkeley Davis and Kent Elliott of RETS Associates**, a Newport Beach-based real estate executive search firm.
A spontaneous audience survey on returning to the office provided interesting insights: While many raised their hands in favor of in-office work, an even larger group remained uncertain about their stance, reflecting an ongoing shift in corporate work culture.
### Getting Deals Done in Today’s Market
The event’s final panel, **”Getting Deals Done in Today’s Market and Beyond,”** was moderated by **Mark Grace of Walker & Dunlop** and featured **Andy Bratt of Gantry** and **Eddie Prosser of Thorofare Capital**.
Bratt noted concerns about the commercial real estate sector’s exposure among regional banks, predicting that banks may take a step back temporarily. “For regional banks, I believe there’s still too much capacity and exposure on commercial real estate. As a result, I believe banks will be sidelined,” Bratt said, adding that **life insurance companies** may become a reliable capital source.
Prosser, using a baseball analogy, suggested that the current market turbulence represents just the **”first inning”** of a broader economic shift. “We’re at the first inning of a major trade war, which I think is going to continue to put downward pressure on the stock market and the economy. But I do believe we will see rate relief within the next three to four quarters, and I think commercial real estate will benefit from that.”
As the event wrapped up, the prevailing sentiment was that **while uncertainty is unavoidable, resilience and strategic navigation will continue to define the real estate industry’s trajectory in the coming years**.
