The Real Deal

A new report finds that 84% of real estate investors say rising home insurance premiums hurt their cash flow in 2026. The figures highlight how sharply insurance costs have climbed, adding pressure on housing investors already dealing with high interest rates and repair expenses, and raising concerns about effects on rental prices and housing supply.

Property investor Redevco has bought a retail park in Seville, Spain, according to CoStar. The deal adds to the firm's European retail property holdings, though the price and seller have not been disclosed. Details on the tenant lineup and Redevco's plans for the site remain limited so far.

The US Air Force's mobility fleet is taking steps toward a common operating picture built on real-time data, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. New software deals are intended to link transport and refueling aircraft into a shared, up-to-date view of operations. The contracts mark progress in the service's broader digital modernization effort for its air mobility fleet.

Real estate commentators are warning that buying property in markets like Georgia or Ukraine carries title risks that a signed contract does not eliminate. They point to deals collapsing during due diligence because of old family claims and unresolved ownership histories, arguing that buyers should treat verified paperwork, not neighborhood reputation, as the true measure of security when purchasing homes abroad.

TEI has acquired a retail property on Jeweler's Row in Chicago for $3.9 million. The deal adds to commercial real estate activity along the historic jewelry district corridor in the Loop, where retail buildings continue to attract investor interest. Details on the property's tenants or TEI's plans for the site were not immediately disclosed.

Private equity real estate firm Sterling Organization has acquired a portfolio of grocery-anchored shopping centers totaling 277,057 square feet across California and Hawaii. The deal adds to the Florida-based firm's growing presence in West Coast and island markets, where grocers serve as anchor tenants drawing steady foot traffic. Trade press flagged the acquisition as part of Sterling's broader strategy of investing in necessity-based, grocery-anchored retail.

Marcus & Millichap has arranged the $7 million sale of a retail center in San Jose, California. The commercial real estate brokerage announced the transaction, which adds to recent deal activity in the Bay Area retail property market. The buyer and seller were identified in the firm's announcement, and the sale reflects continued interest in neighborhood retail assets despite broader market uncertainty.

Commercial real estate brokerage Horvath & Tremblay has completed the sale of three retail properties in Connecticut for a total of $7,252,529. The deal adds to the firm's record of retail transactions across the northeastern United States, though details on the buyers and specific locations of the properties have not been disclosed.

Private equity real estate firm Sterling Organization has acquired three retail properties, according to an announcement by CommercialSearch. The deal expands the firm's retail portfolio, though details on the assets' locations, prices and tenants were not disclosed. The purchase adds to a recent run of investor activity in US shopping center assets, where firms have been picking up retail properties at adjusted valuations.

MIT Sloan has outlined four distinct roles that artificial intelligence can take in negotiations, arguing that AI is moving beyond a support tool to become an active participant at the table. The analysis suggests AI can prepare negotiators, coach them in real time, simulate the opposing side, and in some cases negotiate directly, reshaping how deals are prepared and conducted.

Real estate firm PlaceMKR has acquired a retail portfolio spanning multiple states for $31.85 million. The purchase is described as part of the company's broader expansion push, signaling continued investor appetite for retail properties despite ongoing uncertainty in the sector. Details on the specific properties and sellers involved have not been disclosed.

A property joint venture has purchased a UK retail park for £74 million from Legal & General. The deal adds a large out-of-town retail asset to the buyers' portfolio and marks another significant transaction in Britain's commercial property market, where institutional investors continue to trade retail parks despite broader pressures on the sector.

AMD has agreed to acquire the startup founded by AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li in a deal worth $8.2 billion, part of a broader push into physical AI technology. The acquisition signals AMD's ambition to expand beyond chips for data centers into AI systems that operate in the real world, intensifying competition with Nvidia and other rivals in the rapidly growing physical AI sector.