“Baby Boomers are social and prefer living in settings where they can make friends,” he says. “They enjoy walking to cafes, parks, libraries and places of worship. Baby Boomers will also be more active and healthy than preceding generations. Many Baby Boomers will continue working part-time, even after their official retirement, especially from a home office.

Joel Shackelford, a real estate partner at Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck in Los Angeles, notes smaller investors and institutional players alike have been buying up senior living facilities for many years in preparation for what is now manifesting. “There's still thought to be a shortage in senior living options in many parts of the country,” Shackelford tells GlobeSt.com. “It remains to be seen how an aging population relying on limited monthly incomes—such as from Social Security—will be able to afford the costs of senior living. Many are predicting the growth of larger single-family residences where parents will move in and live with their children, a trend that is popping up across America.”

It's yet too soon to tell who will be the winners in this segment, with some predicting a move to the urban core and others forecasting larger single-family homes. However, the shortage of senior living options is real. Investors and developers who target this need will find a safe bets in many parts of the country

ATLANTA—If you ask commercial real estate gurus to spot the top trends in today's market—and look to the future of the industry over the next five years—you'll hear seven consistent themes. It seems we agree on something.

Talk of the aging US population and how the huge Boomer Generation will impact healthcare and housing is nothing new but it's unfolding right before our eyes and will play out for the next decade or so. At the same time is the rising generation of Millennials enter the workforce, the housing market, and make their mark on retail. With these two generations merging and the increasing diversity of America, there's also a growing cry and a conscious emphasis on diversity in the commercial real estate workforce. (Check out these developer predictions.)

Let's start with the Boomer generation. Robert Gibbs, president and CEO of Gibbs Planning Group in Birmingham, MI, rightly notes empty nesters transitioning into senior citizens is becoming one of the largest demographic transitions in US history. Just as Baby Boomers impacted every major market segment from bicycles, to autos, to colleges and the job market, as they age they are creating a perfect storm for the housing market. (Here's what commercial real estate investors are most concerned about right now.)

“Empty nesters will be abandoning their large suburban homes en masse and seeking compact, easy to maintain homes in walkable neighborhoods and urban centers,” Gibbs tells GlobeSt.com. Indeed, a George Washington University study estimates that large four- to five-bedroom suburban homes will lose up to 30% of their value by 2030. During this period, Gibbs predicts, the demand for condos, apartments and small lot cottage homes will increase significantly.

“Baby Boomers are social and prefer living in settings where they can make friends,” he says. “They enjoy walking to cafes, parks, libraries and places of worship. Baby Boomers will also be more active and healthy than preceding generations. Many Baby Boomers will continue working part-time, even after their official retirement, especially from a home office.

Joel Shackelford, a real estate partner at Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck in Los Angeles, notes smaller investors and institutional players alike have been buying up senior living facilities for many years in preparation for what is now manifesting. “There's still thought to be a shortage in senior living options in many parts of the country,” Shackelford tells GlobeSt.com. “It remains to be seen how an aging population relying on limited monthly incomes—such as from Social Security—will be able to afford the costs of senior living. Many are predicting the growth of larger single-family residences where parents will move in and live with their children, a trend that is popping up across America.”

It's yet too soon to tell who will be the winners in this segment, with some predicting a move to the urban core and others forecasting larger single-family homes. However, the shortage of senior living options is real. Investors and developers who target this need will find a safe bets in many parts of the country