AEW Capital Management, COO Lauren O’Neil: How does a $85.9B global real estate investment manager think about risk, sectors, and where to deploy dry powder in 2026?

Welcome back to Bridging the Gap: Commercial Real Estate Intelligence, presented by Accrete Advisors.

This week, host Jennifer Robertson sits down with Lauren O’Neill, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director at AEW Capital Management, to break down AEW’s strategies across the risk spectrum and what the firm is prioritizing as market conditions evolve. Together, they discuss how AEW is staying disciplined, underwriting deal-by-deal in micro-markets, and targeting opportunities tied to demographics, replacement cost, and long-term resilience.

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