Salisbury, MD – SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate recently held its 16th Annual Commercial Real Estate Forum. This year’s theme was “Shaping the Future; Leveraging Opportunities in Commercial Real Estate.” This event brought together professionals from diverse industries impacted by commercial real estate. The forum was comprised of keynote speakers and a panel discussion themed, “Leveraging Opportunities in Commercial Real Estate.”
The forum returned to Oak Ridge Commons and approximately 200 guests were registered this year. Breakfast was catered by Faithful Concepts with Kellyn’s Café for the third year in a row.
Wesley Cox, CCIM, Senior Advisor with SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate, started the event examining the evolving commercial real estate market, emphasizing record-low inventory, rising interest rates, and high construction costs. He highlighted strong leasing demand, pricing discrepancies between buyers and sellers, and the cautious stance of lenders. Cox stressed the need for market adaptation, urging investors to focus on future trends rather than past conditions.
Dave Ryan, Executive Director of Salisbury-Wicomico Economic Development, highlighted key regional developments, including an $800,000 federal grant for new Orlando service at Salisbury Regional Airport and the impact of the Port of Salisbury’s cargo operations. He also discussed Salisbury University’s planned Performing Arts Center, new industrial land in Wicomico County, and ongoing residential expansion, all driving economic growth in the region.
Panelists included Monty Saylor from M&T Bank, Jim Hartstein, CIC, CRM, CWCA from The Insurance Market, Andrew Roud from St. John Properties, and Matt Drew, PE, PMP from InSite BUILD. The panelists discussed key industry challenges, including the evolving insurance market, rising costs in multifamily projects, and shifting lender requirements. They examined the state of CRE lending in 2025, highlighting deal sizes, office loan caution, and the balance between relationship-driven and transactional lending. Regulatory changes, compliance awareness, and legislative impacts were also key topics, along with development challenges such as labor shortages and material costs. Panelists emphasized the positive impact of St. John’s ongoing projects in Wicomico County, which are expected to create jobs and drive long-term economic growth.
To close out the event, Anirban Basu, Chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, presented on the economy, in the theme of “Monetary Masala.” Anirban provided an economic outlook, highlighting inflation concerns, interest rate trends, and financial pressures on consumers. He examined employment, credit markets, and commercial lending conditions, along with office vacancies and mortgage trends. Basu emphasized the need for market adaptation amid evolving economic conditions and regulatory changes.
The 2025 SVN forum committee included Executive Managing Directors, Brent & Amy Miller, Managing Director, Rick Tilghman, Director of Operations, Amber Bostwick, Senior Advisor, Wesley Cox, Advisors Kelly Jeter, Ryan Finnegan, and Lindsay Mooney, Marketing Specialist, Alexis Black, and Property Management Administrative Assistant, Madison Myers.
Sponsors for the forum were M&T Bank, The Insurance Market, Hebron Savings Bank, Synergy Investment Fund, Capstan Tax Strategies, Becker Morgan, Deeley Insurance Group, St. John Properties, Compass US Accountants & Advisors, Avery Hall, W.R. McCain & Associates, Paradise Energy Solutions, Horizon Farm Credit, and Minuteman Press.
“Thanks for inviting me to SVN’s Annual Forum. I got so much out of it. It was data-rich, informative, and highly focused. The deep dive into local trends and market conditions gave me valuable insights and a competitive edge. I haven’t attended anything like this before on the Delmarva, and it has truly raised my expectations for future events,” said attendee, Robert Hajir, CEO of Ihsan Farms.
Keynote speaker, Anirban Basu said, “I attend and speak at a lot of conferences around the country and this is one of the best I’ve seen because you provide relevant and actionable information that the audience can use rather than offering speculation.”
SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate is a regional firm specializing in commercial real estate, providing advisory, brokerage, consultation, leasing, and asset & property management services to clients in the Mid-Atlantic Region. (#SVNgivesback) The firm’s unique Shared Valued Network reflects its commitment to transparency, innovation, and inclusivity enabling collaboration with the entire commercial real estate industry for the benefit of clients and community.
SVN | Miller is an Accredited Management Organization® (AMO), boasting a team of dedicated professionals with market-leading knowledge and expertise including Certified Property Managers® (CPM®), Certified Commercial Investment Members (CCIM), and members of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR). SVN | Miller Commercial is currently ranked #6 out of 200+ international SVN® Offices. For information on how to make SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate the key to your success, contact 410-543-2440 or visit our website www.SVNmiller.com
