I was recently a guest on a teleconference hosted by a former U.S. Cabinet member, and my following notes from the teleconference indicate what I believe is now a huge trend that will dramatically impact our commercial real estate world globally.

  1. The Brookings Institution says that out of the next 1 billion people in the world who will elevate themselves up to become middle class, 88% of them will be Asian.
  2. Between 2015 and 2030, the number of Asian people in the middle class will have risen from 1.4 billion up to 3 billion people.
  3. By 2030, the total number of people in Asia in the middle class will be 10X the number of people in the middle class here in North America.
  4. In comparison, the number of people in the middle class in Europe and in North America is not expected to change much between now and 2030.

Imagine what all of this will mean in terms of competing for worldwide resources!

In addition, imagine what this will mean for the development, sale, and leasing of commercial properties worldwide!

Where will be the key locations for owning commercial real estate within the Asian countries, and within the additional countries that will working to service this demand?

In addition, by 2030, automation is expected to replace 236 million jobs in China, and 73 million jobs here in the U.S., indicating that major shifts will be coming our way within the workforce, and in the usage of commercial real estate right here in America.