CHARLOTTE – The law firm of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP and the accounting firm of Greer & Walker, LLP are pleased to host their fourth annual Outlook on the Commercial Real Estate Market event. The program will be held tomorrow, January 26, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Westin Charlotte (601 South College Street). More than 375 guests are expected to attend what has become one of the premier annual events for the Charlotte real estate community.

The event will feature a panel discussion with Mark Vitner, Managing Director & Senior Economist at Wells Fargo; Timothy B. Sittema, President of Crosland Investment Services; and Thomas S. Dennard, CEO of Grandbridge Real Estate Capital LLC. They will discuss the current state of the industry in Charlotte and the Southeast, and what they believe 2011 will hold for the region’s commercial real estate market. The speakers will also address available commercial real estate financing options as well as market predictions for the retail, manufacturing and service industries.

“2010 was a much better year than 2009, as we have started to see the debt capital markets open up again, at least for stabilized properties,” said Daniel S. Huffenus, managing partner of Katten’s Charlotte office and a member of the firm’s Real Estate Finance Practice. “Sources of fresh equity with the need to de-lever commercial real estate assets seem to be coming off of the sidelines, albeit in a very measured way. In addition, cap rates have compressed a bit for most property types. These factors cause us to be cautiously optimistic about the prospects for commercial real estate in 2011.”

“This event is a great opportunity for the real estate community to get together, network, and hear from experts about what’s in store for the industry in 2011 and beyond,” said Barry Leasure, a partner with Greer & Walker.

For the second consecutive year, in lieu of charging a registration fee for the event, Katten and Greer & Walker instead request that guests make a donation to Community Link. Community Link, which has served the Charlotte community for nearly 80 years, helps to break the cycle of poverty by enabling working poor individuals and families to obtain and sustain appropriate housing.