With more job losses and worries over the economy, the National Association of Realtors is reporting that investment activity in commercial real estate is at a standstill.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, noted, "Although access to residential mortgages has improved, the opposite is true for commercial loans. We need liquidity for commercial mortgage-backed securities not only to free the market, but also to rollover existing debt. At the same time, the loss of jobs has had a significant impact on the demand for commercial space."

For those with investment properties, the report also touched on residential rental units. "Annual rent is estimated to ease down 0.8 percent this year and decline another 4.0 percent in 2009."

Retail rent is expected to decline as well.

Published: December 23, 2008

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