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From left, Rachael Orlando of Retail California, John Kourafas of Visintainer Group, Charlie Schuh of Colliers International and Tony Cortopassi of Cushman & Wakefield discuss commercial real estate trends at the Fresno County EDC’s annual Real Estate Forecast at the DoubleTree Inn in downtown Fresno on Thursday. Photo by Gabriel Dillard<\/p>\n
\u201cI hate it,\u201d said Charlie Schuh with Colliers International, when the subject of artificial intelligence came up at Thursday night\u2019s Fresno County EDC Real Estate Forecast. <\/p>\n
He was joking \u2014 mostly. His real take was more measured and more pointed: as AI-generated communications flood inboxes and deal files, people notice. \u201cThe value diminishes of the person who it is coming from,\u201d he said. \u201cDon\u2019t overdose on AI. You will make yourself less valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n
His fellow panelists talked about its practical uses. Tony Cortopassi of Cushman & Wakefield sees it as an efficiency tool \u2014 useful for lease review and data processing, not worth getting bogged down in manually. John Kourafas of Visintainer Group uses it with checks and balances, finding it helpful for underwriting. Panel moderator Rachael Orlando of Retail California maps client tour routes and plans itineraries with it.<\/p>\n
Rally for the Valley<\/p>\n
The annual event at the DoubleTree Inn in Downtown Fresno carried the theme Rally for the Valley. EDC Board Chair Ed Dunkel of Precision Civil Engineering, in Bulldog red, opened the evening in conversation with Fresno State Athletic Director Garrett Klassy and football coach Matt Entz.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Klassy\u2019s had a direct appeal for business owners to partner with athletes. Fresno State is done making bad partnership deals, he said, and companies can now advertise using the university\u2019s intellectual property.<\/p>\n
Last month, Fresno State Athletics announced the launch of Bulldog Sports Enterprises, a multimedia rights agency, changing a decades-long partnership with Learfield Sports.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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From left, EDC Board Chair Ed Dunkel of Precision Civil Engineering, Fresno State football coach Matt Entz and Athletic Director Garrett Klassy open the Fresno County EDC\u2019s annual Real Estate Forecast at the DoubleTree Inn in downtown Fresno on Thursday. Photo by Gabriel Dillard<\/p>\n
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Rents up, demand soft<\/p>\n
The four-broker panel \u2013 one of several \u2014 covered major commercial sectors. Schuh noted industrial demand has softened and buyers are more selective, suggesting the industry consider a wider range of tenants at lower price points. Cortopassi said office rents are up \u2014 but only because of inflation, not organic demand. The top amenity, he said, isn\u2019t parking or views. It\u2019s safety: submarkets where tenants feel comfortable walking to and from their car. ADA compliance ranked high as well.<\/p>\n
Orlando reported retail rents at historic highs in centers anchored by national tenants, with new developments including Heritage Grove and Loma Vista in the pipeline \u2014 but demand has softened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Who pays?<\/p>\n
The triple-net lease structure is under fresh scrutiny as shifting property taxes, insurance and maintenance costs raise the question of whether tenants can absorb them.<\/p>\n