As businesses begin to reopen across the county, many are following local regulations—which vary greatly market-to-market—and curating best practices to keep users safe and comfortable through the transition period. While there is a lot of information floating around, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to re-opening. Instead, owners will need to consider the asset class, usage, space configurations and more to determine the best practices.

"Landlords must examine how people interact in shared spaces and what changes can be made to promote social distancing," Michael C. Cato, a partner with Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson, tells GlobeSt.com. "Strategies for office buildings, where most traffic flows through a few entry and lobby areas, may be very different from industrial and retail projects, where many tenants have direct access to their space."

Policies will vary largely between asset classes. Length of stay and traffic patterns, for example, are different for offices and retail establishment. These properties also require different safety policies. "Owners of office projects should develop new protocols to manage traffic flow—particularly in dense areas such as elevator lobbies and cars—reduce common touch surfaces, and protect onsite personnel, tenants, vendors and visitors," says Cato.