RMCRE members came away from CREJ Private Capital Investment & Lender Conference and Expo August 2026 with a more optimistic outlook than they have seen in recent years.

The strongest takeaway was the quality and candor of the conversations. The lender panel stood out as a particularly credible indicator of improving confidence. Members noted that the conference speakers were not simply discussing market theory—they were personally guaranteeing loans and sponsoring deals, which gave their perspectives added weight.

At the same time, the discussions reflected a market that remains uneven. Leasing activity is accelerating in some office and healthcare portfolios, while other owners are still facing rent-collection challenges. Members also described sharply different client experiences: some businesses are under real pressure, while others are able to make significant investments without hesitation.

Mountain communities continue to feel the effects of a difficult winter season and wildfire impacts. Retail and restaurant clients in Summit County were reported to be down roughly 30%, while communities in the Telluride, Ouray, and San Juan areas faced compounding challenges. In Ridgeway, the Ouray closure was said to have caused a revenue decline of more than 50%, prompting businesses to seek emergency funding through Region 10.

Capital markets were another key theme. High interest rates continue to slow deal velocity, even for properties priced well below previous peak values. Banks are generally extending or rolling maturing five-year commercial loans from 2021 rather than foreclosing, but borrowers are confronting substantially higher rates—about 7% today versus 4–5% when many of those loans originated.

Overall, the conference left the group with a sense that conditions may be stabilizing—but without consensus on whether the market is at the beginning of a broader downturn or simply moving along the bottom. The value of CREJ was not only the programming, but the opportunity to compare real-time experiences across Colorado markets and hear directly from people actively making decisions in today’s environment.