Richard Bezold, chair of Akerman's Real Estate Practice Group, was quoted in the article, "Optimism Among Real Estate Executives Hits Record-High Since Financial Downturn, Says Survey," by Property Funds World. The article highlights data from the firm's fourth annual outlook survey conducted at the Akerman U.S. Real Estate Summit. Overall, executive confidence in the economy and the availability of equity capital investment has significantly improved since the collapse of the financial markets. However, clouds of uncertainty do remain over lawmaker decisions in Washington, D.C.

Bezold was quoted, "We introduced Akerman's US 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 US.”