2026 Corporate Finance & Accounting Talent Research Study
Why this matters
The 2026 study on corporate finance and accounting talent underscores a critical undercurrent shaping institutional commercial real estate markets: the persistent scarcity of skilled finance professionals amid rising demand and compensation pressures. For allocators and capital markets participants, this signals a tightening operational environment that could influence deal execution timelines, underwriting rigor, and portfolio management efficiency. Talent shortages in finance and accounting functions may constrain firms’ capacity to process complex transactions or manage increasingly sophisticated capital structures, particularly as market volatility and regulatory scrutiny intensify. The reported increase in hiring and compensation suggests firms are responding to these challenges by investing in human capital, which could translate into higher operating costs and potentially slower deal flow in the near term. This dynamic also reflects broader labor market trends impacting CRE fund managers and lenders alike, where competition for experienced finance talent is intensifying. Ultimately, the study highlights that beyond macroeconomic and property-level fundamentals, human capital remains a pivotal factor in the resilience and agility of institutional CRE platforms navigating an evolving capital markets landscape.
Editorial analysis · AI-assisted
Highlights Include Talent Shortages, Increased Hiring and Compensation CHICAGO, July 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The results of the 2026 national study of corporate finance and accounting (F&A) talent or human resources i…
External link. Real Estate Trail does not republish source content.
Related coverage — Chicago
Back to the office: Chicago's downtown office vacancy rates sees dip
JLL Arranges $124.6M Refinancing for Luxury Apartment Tower in Chicago
CHICAGO — JLL Capital Markets has arranged a $124.6 million refinancing for Arthur on Aberdeen, a newly stabilized luxury apartment tower in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood. Located at 210 N. Aberdeen St., the pr…
Marcus & Millichap Brokers $14M Sale of LA Fitness-Anchored Retail Property in Metro Chicago
MUNDELEIN, ILL. — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the nearly $14 million sale and financing of a LA Fitness-anchored, four-suite retail property in Mundelein. Austin Weisenbeck and Shean Sharko of Marcus & Millichap m…
CME Group's New Agriculture Index Delivers Unified Price Benchmark for the Global Farm Economy
CHICAGO, July 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today announced the launch of its Agriculture Index, a broad-based price benchmark designed to track the aggregate performa…
Chicago’s Next Industrial Opportunity Is Already Built
By Maxx Kossof, The Missner Group Chicago’s industrial market is active — vacancy is low, rents are up and the construction pipeline remains substantial. But the market is not uniform. Smaller deals, in tighter locati…
GBTA Holds Annual Business Meeting for 2025, Announces 2026 Board Election Results
GBTA's 2025 Annual Business Meeting covered financial performance and org highlights, and announced five newly elected Board of Directors members starting August 5 at Convention in Chicago.