What a Difference a Year Makes: 2023 Commercial Real Estate Outlook

Steig Seaward is the national director of research and oversees the research and GIS teams for the United States. A proven CRE tech leader, Steig brings 25+ years of experience providing research and analysis, product design and customer retention strategies across the information technology and commercial real estate industries.   

Prior to joining Colliers,  Steig spent nine years as the senior research director overseeing research and marketing operations for the east coast region of Grubb & Ellis and more recently was the EVP of Customer Success at Xceligent, a full service-SAAS based commercial real estate information provider.  Steig also served as the national director of Business Development and Client Services during his 13-year career at Xceligent.  In addition, Steig also gained valuable experience as the director of sales for IdealSpot, a demographic and site selection software provider, VP of Technology & Member Services for the Denver Metropolitan Commercial Association of Realtors and began his career as a research analyst for the Resolution Trust Corporation.

Areas of expertise include:

·       Commercial Real Estate Research & Analysis

·       Customer Facing Solution Sales

·       Product Design & Implementation

·       Customer & Employee Curriculum Development and Training

·       SAAS/Subscription-Based Services

·       Customer Success Development

Stephen has over 35 years of Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Research experience gained in both the U.S. and U.K. He has an expert knowledge of many CRE markets across the U.S. Having worked with brokerage firms, asset managers and data providers he has a broad spectrum of experience and is adept in forecasting, analysis and strategy. Prior to joining Colliers, Stephen was a Research Director with CoStar based in Washington D.C. His career history also includes eight years as Director of U.S. Office Research with Deutsche Asset Management and six years as Head of Research with Newmark Knight Frank in London, U.K.

At Colliers, Stephen is responsible for all aspects of U.S. National Office research including authoring quarterly reports, press interviews and multi-market analysis. He works closely with multiple Colliers' business lines including Office Services, Capital Markets, Healthcare, Law Firm Services, Property Management and Occupier Services. He’s a frequent author of blogs and thought leadership pieces as well as giving presentations to clients and industry groups.

As Director of Research | U.S. Capital Markets, Aaron is responsible for all aspects of research within the Capital Markets platform. He synthesizes and interprets a variety of data and information to stay ahead of trends that put our clients in an optimal position to make informed decisions. Aaron promotes the Colliers brand via best-in-class research reports, weekly insight posts, thought leadership, and contributions to numerous panels, media outlets, and industry events.

Aaron collaborates with every team at the firm and wears many hats: in-house economist, advisor, consultant, thought leader, strategic business analyst, presenter, and, of course, researcher. He connects with various industry experts within the Colliers organization to provide a customized solution for each client.

With a deep understanding of markets throughout the country, he provides a unique perspective on market dynamics across asset types and investment strategies, providing clients with tailored data and analytics to ultimately guide decision-making solutions.

Before joining Colliers, he spent 11 years with Property & Portfolio Research (PPR), now CoStar Portfolio Strategy. There, he advised institutional clients on their commercial real estate investment strategies across property sectors and also spoke at industry events, quarterly CoStar webinars, and in front of client audiences. Aaron also led and directed a team of economists who monitored property markets across the United States. Near the end of his tenure, he helped establish a new business unit at CoStar, leading in the hiring, training, and coaching of a team of 50 market analysts. 

Outside of the office, Aaron can be found cheering on his children at their extracurricular activities. He also enjoys hiking, travel, relaxing at home or at the lake, or plugging away at one home project or another. Last but not least, he's an avid fan of Boston sports teams.

Amanda Ortiz is the Director, National Industrial Research on the National Marketing & Research team at Colliers. Based in Chicago, Amanda partners with national and local teams to deliver market intelligence initiatives and provide direction to drive national competitive advantage through research strategy, development and analytics.

Amanda possesses comprehensive experience in both database management and trend analysis. Her knowledge of the macro and micro factors affecting the commercial real estate market results in proactively positioned research.

As the National Research Manager for Retail Services, I am responsible for studying conditions within the retail sector, collecting and reporting statistical data, and analyzing the data to identify significant trends and opportunities. I am involved with national pitches and pursuits, leading the quarterly National Retail Report, and educating brokers on an array of retail research tools like Restaurant Bytes and Creditintell.   

Based in South Florida, I have been in the commercial real estate industry since 2014, am bilingual in Spanish, and hold a Florida Real Estate Sales Associate License. 

I previously worked as a Senior Research Analyst in the Miami office of Colliers International South Florida where I managed a platform of comprehensive commercial real estate data, information resources, research, and training to support the sales and marketing efforts of the South Florida team. I was responsible for the collection, maintenance, and preparation of data across all property types required for writing quarterly statistical reports, graphs, and charts. My expertise in both leasing and investment sales ranged across multiple asset types including retail, industrial, office, and multifamily.  

Prior to joining Colliers, I was a Compliance Specialist at Orlando-based FBC Mortgage, where I provided guidance to originators regarding disclosures and assistance in the interpretation of federal, state, and industry regulations. I began my real estate career as a Retail Services Intern with BishopBeale in Orlando which required me to analyze market conditions, conduct competitive research to identify new opportunities, and project management for multiple sites across Florida.