Cushman & Wakefield | Sage Partners recently held its 2026 NWA Market Insights event in Bentonville, featuring a panel discussion on the Northwest Arkansas commercial real estate market and the upcoming Issue 3 ballot initiative.
The event included the release of the firm’s 2025 Market Report, which highlights the region’s robust CRE sector—despite increased supply in certain asset classes—with strong demand, tight office vacancy, and sustained fundamentals driven by population growth and corporate investment.
Panelists, including Marshall Saviers (CEO, Cushman & Wakefield / Sage Partners), Alan Cole (Colliers Arkansas), Tom Allen (Cushman & Wakefield / Sage Partners), Luke Parsons (Legacy National Bank), and Chris Schnurbusch (Crossland Construction), addressed challenges like rising construction costs, land prices, and infrastructure expenses that hinder new development despite high tenant demand.
They expressed strong support for Issue 3, set for the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. If approved, this constitutional amendment would enable local economic development districts with incentives such as tax increment financing-like mechanisms, sales tax redirection, and property/sales tax rebates—tools used successfully in states like Kansas and Texas—to attract projects, boost competitiveness, and spur high-quality development in Arkansas.
The discussion underscored NWA’s enviable “supply shortage” problem amid regional growth, with panelists noting that such incentives could unlock stalled projects and bring desired retail, entertainment, and other developments to the area.
For the full details, read the original article from Talk Business & Politics.
For more coverage on the market report, read articles from Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and Axios.
