Q2 earnings calls from leading real estate finance firms highlighted increased exposure to industrial property lending, with job vacancies in credit risk assessment up sharply. Earlier this year, New York City recorded the lowest office vacancy rate of any major city. Foot traffic has exceeded pre-pandemic numbers. And new leasing in Midtown rose to 5.3 million square feet in the second quarter, its highest mark since 2019. News from the leasing market has spurred big-ticket deals, but the scope of the office comeback is unclear. Yu was joined on stage at the event by Jeremy Potter , the founder of Next Belt Strategies who has also previously served at companies like Stavvy and Rocket Mortgage . They offered insights into how AI may replace or change mortgage industry roles over the next 18 to 24 months. CRE-focused lenders saw shares rise 2% last week, with hiring in real estate portfolio analytics surging, reinforcing positive momentum in the finance job market.
