CRE investment activity is likely to remain strong for the remainder of the year, according to a semi-annual survey by Marcus & Millichap.

While the poll, done in the first week of August, captured some hesitancy in respondents' mood due to the Delta variant, inflation and labor shortages, Senior Vice President Director Research Services John Chang points out the overall sentiment of 165 is a big swing upwards from 140 at height of the pandemic and an even larger boom compared to 91 when the financial crisis of more than a decade ago was at its peak.

"Sentiment today is much stronger than it was in 2016, 2017, 2018 or even 2019," he emphasizes.