Real Estate Forecasting: Introduction. Commercial real estate is a broad industry that is more easily dissected by looking at the various types of assets. We see commercial real estate properties in our everyday life, but many times we do not consider how vast the category is. Most common are the retail properties, such as strip malls, shopping malls, and increasingly common power centers, which are shopping centers anchored by large retailers with a collection of smaller retail tenants connected only by outdoor passageways. Many of our homes are part of apartment complexes of varying styles, which are owned as investment vehicles. Then we have office buildings, which are typically broken down by their geography: downtown, business district, suburban, et cetera. But they can also be categorized by purpose, such as creative or artistic activities. And we have hotels of all kinds, which represent unique investing opportunities with high turnover rates of occupancy and ancillary services like events. Then we have industrial spaces for warehouses, manufacturing, and assembly. These are often built by the companies which they service. However, there is a big opportunity to build and lease these facilities as well. Beyond this, there are even more commercial properties with strong investor bases in the medical field, student housing, self-storage, mobile parks, and senior living.