Gordon Hampson

Gordon Hampson, a real estate specialist with Northstar Partners, also painted a bleak picture for the office sector.According to Hampson, demand for office space will stay "tentative" because of the economy.

Hampson anticipates a 2 percent growth in metro area vacancy rates to 15.64 percent.Tenant retention will be very important in the coming year, he said, and landlords should focus on keeping properties updated in response to tenants' needs.

Overall, he predicted that the market will "continue to struggle for the next 12 months, with suburban office properties performing better than downtown properties."

Investment/Finance