Real estate to see more of same in 2012?

The 2012 nationwide commercial real estate forecast from Grubb & Ellis is more confirmation of a well-documented trend: The only certainty the year promises is uncertainty.

The California-based real estate services and investment firm projects “slow but continued growth for all commercial real estate property sectors.” The best-performing sector, according to the report, will be multi-family housing, while the worst performer will be office. Hospitality, industrial and retail will fall in between.

Grubb & Ellis senior vice president and chief economist Robert Bach says he anticipates “gradual improvement in leasing markets and a boost in investment sales volume.” He makes those projections even in the face of several uncertain economic and political situations, from high unemployment to 2012 being a presidential election year to the unresolved European sovereign debt crisis.