**CRE Executives Identify Key Opportunities in 2025**
“We’re really focused on sectors where we see strong tailwinds to demographics, coupled with limited future supply in the near term and strong demand generally. So that’s putting us into the housing sectors,” said Jonathan Watson, Managing Director at AEW Capital Management.
Watson shared these insights in response to a question about the opportunities that commercial real estate (CRE) leaders are eyeing for the remainder of 2025. His comments came during a recent conversation with Connect CRE at the Connect Los Angeles 2025 event, which brought together key industry players for discussions about the future of the market.
At Jamison, that opportunity is being pursued through adaptive reuse—specifically, converting older office properties into residential units. CEO Jaime Lee emphasized the urgent housing needs in the city of Los Angeles and the importance of reimagining office space to address that shortage.
“We have such a dire need for housing in the city of LA, and we’re really focused on bringing a more sustainable use to these buildings,” Lee said.
Additional perspectives were shared during the event by notable industry voices including Jim Dillavou, Co-Founder and Principal of Paragon Commercial Group; Jim Brooks, President of BH Properties; and Antonio Hachem, Principal at Slatt Capital. Each offered unique insights into where they see the most promising growth and investment possibilities across the sector as 2025 unfolds.
For more insights from the event, including a video with full commentary from these executives, visit Connect CRE.
