FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tracy Johnson, President & CEO, CARW | 414-698-7474 | tracy@carw.com
Chris Allen, Director of Analytics, REDICRE | 952-456-1669 | chris@redicre.com
MILWAUKEE, April 2026 – The Commercial Association of REALTORS® Wisconsin (CARW) has released its 2026 first-quarter market reports, providing a comprehensive overview of trends across the industrial, office, and retail sectors. The report was produced in collaboration with CARW members, Moody’s, and REDICRE.
Several highlights include:
Southeast Wisconsin:
- Office: The market continues to adjust, with (120,600 SF) of negative absorption pushing vacancy to 19.6%, while activity remains steady with 510,000 SF of leasing and 33 sales totaling $47M
- Industrial: Absorption declined by (1.04 MSF), but fundamentals remain active with 7.5 MSF of leasing activity, $288M+ in sales, and a 5.8% vacancy rate
- Retail: The market remains stable, with vacancy at 6.2%, minimal (10,000 SF) absorption, and continued transaction activity totaling $114M+ in sales
Madison:
- Office: The market is stabilizing, with (34,600 SF) of absorption and vacancy at 16.2%, alongside 198,000 SF of leasing and $18.7M in sales
- Industrial: Industrial continues to lead, with 80,400 SF of positive absorption, a tight 3.8% vacancy rate, over 398,000 SF of leasing activity, and more than 3.5 MSF under construction
- Retail: Retail is gaining momentum, with 60,200 SF of positive absorption, 5.7% vacancy, 137,000 SF of leasing activity, and $51.6M in sales
Q1 2026 Market Release Southeast Wisconsin HERE
Q1 2026 Market Release Madison Wisconsin HERE