This week on In the CRE Vault with Mike & Marc, the team at NAI FMA Realty dives into one of the most overlooked opportunities in commercial real estate: investing in tertiary markets.

While primary markets are crowded and increasingly competitive, tertiary markets offer a different story — often driven by a strong owner-user base, more balanced supply and demand, and slightly higher cap rates. Instead of dramatic peaks and valleys, these markets tend to grow steadily, supported by reliable economic drivers like universities and healthcare systems.

We break down why investors start shifting to smaller markets when larger metros heat up, what makes these markets resilient, and how places like Lincoln, Nebraska continue to provide stability even as overall activity begins to slow.

If you’re looking for a more consistent, long-term approach to CRE investing, this episode is worth a listen.

🎧 Tune in for insights from NAI FMA Realty on where smart investors are looking next.

This week, we’re joined by our very own Kari Knoedler—now officially the office AI expert (yes, she took a class, so it’s legit).

We dive into how AI is actually being used every day in commercial real estate—from cranking out marketing content and building better spreadsheets (seriously… better spreadsheets) to leveling up research and efficiency across the board.

But it’s not just about convenience—AI is already shaping the industry in bigger ways. Think data centers, energy consumption, and how site selection is evolving right in front of us.

We also tackle the big question: Should we be worried about our jobs? Short answer—relationships still win. CRE is still a people business.

Of course, we keep it real—talking about using AI responsibly, protecting confidential information, and how this all feels a lot like the early internet days (shoutout to AOL dial-up… no off switch then, no off switch now).

Bottom line: the more you use AI, the better it gets to know you—and the more powerful it becomes as a tool in your day-to-day business.

Tune in for insights, laughs, and maybe a few prompts you’ll want to steal.

In this episode, we crack open our annual Lincoln CRE Market Report—the one we obsessively track all year so you don’t have to. We dig into the trends behind absorption, sale prices, and what’s really happening in office, industrial, and retail.

Joining the conversation:

• Jared Froehlich, SIOR, CCIM breaks down the industrial market (spoiler: it’s still been on a tear since 2020).
• Tim Dornbos dives into retail, which turns out is less “retail apocalypse” and more “people still like stores.”
• Mike tackles office and the ongoing flight to quality—because apparently everyone wants the nice office now.

We also talk about our annual State of the Market event where we share this report with the community and discuss what’s happening in Lincoln’s commercial real estate market.

Key takeaways:

• Industrial: still the overachiever of the group.
• Office: upgrading is the name of the game.
• Retail: surprisingly stable… maybe even a little boring (but in a good way).

And in true Lincoln fashion, local businesses continue to get plenty of love from the community.

If you want the real story behind the numbers—and a few laughs along the way—this episode is for you.