Alan Kava

The State of the Real Estate Market

Sharmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Alan Kava, Roy March, Ralph Rosenberg, Sharmeen Mosavaramani

On April 24, 2020, Goldman Sachs, KKR, and Eastdale executives analyzed a global real estate market defined by record cap rate spreads, an 80% drop in private transaction volumes, and divergent sector performance driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. While hospitality and retail faced existential threats from plummeting occupancy and accelerating structural decline, industrial and life science sectors demonstrated resilience through e-commerce growth and near-perfect rent collections. Industry leaders anticipate a prolonged recovery period where well-capitalized banks may stabilize the market, yet a sharp bifurcation remains between distressed "have-to" sellers and liquidity-rich investors poised to acquire depressed assets.