On April 12, Akerman held its fourth annual U.S. Real Estate Summit, bringing nearly 300 real estate executives together to exchange insights on the latest trends impacting commercial real estate investment. A survey was conducted among those who attended, measuring their attitudes and perspectives of the industry and the U.S. economy in 2013 and beyond.

GlobeSt.com featured the Akerman Summit and the survey in the article titled, "CRE Exec Optimism at Five-Year Record-High," citing that 86 percent of survey respondents shared an optimistic outlook, a record-high since the since the collapse of the financial markets in 2008. The article also highlighted executive concerns over government policies and economic uncertainties, as well as growth opportunities in the market.

Richard Bezold, chair of the Akerman Real Estate Practice Group was quoted, “We introduced Akerman’s U.S. Real Estate Summit after the real estate downturn and each year the Summit has served as an exclusive forum for the nation’s industry leaders to exchange insights on the latest challenges impacting investment opportunities. Volatile financial markets and government policies have tested optimism over the last few years, but industry executives are finding creative avenues for growth. Their inventiveness in core markets has led to the recovery of not only the real estate industry but also major cities across the U.S.”