Nearly 40 real estate economists and analysts feel the COVID-19 recession will impact real estate markets and values less severely than the 2008 financial crisis—except for retail and hotel real estate.

The economists predicted there will be a $275 billion decrease in real estate transaction volumes in 2020, according to a survey in May by the Urban Land Institute. But they expected transaction volumes to rise over the next two years, which would create a healthier capital market compared to the 2008 Great Recession.

"Real estate economists expect that while the top-line economic impact of COVID-19 will be much worse than the global financial crisis, US real estate market fundamentals and values will fare much better," said William Maher, a leading member of the Urban Land Institute, in prepared remarks. "Only retail and hotel are expected to suffer a worse outcome."

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Angela Morris

Angela Morris is ALM Media's Texas litigation reporter. She covers lawsuits in all levels of Texas state and federal courts. Based in Austin, Morris earned journalism and government degrees from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006, and since then, has worked primarily as a reporter and writer, but also has skills in videography, photography and podcasts. Follow her on Twitter at @AMorrisReports.