Strong balance sheets and minimal leverage have become the themes of this downturn. Compared to the Financial Crisis, commercial real estate companies are not overleveraged and prepared to weather the storm. According to Kevin Shields of Griffin Capital, lower leverage profiles will help to stabilize asset values through the recovery.

"Opportunity funds that were levering themselves up before the Great Financial Crisis were 80% or 85% levered. It doesn't take a big market move to wipe out that equity. Here, I don't think we have that," Shields, CEO of Griffin, tells GlobeSt.com. "When we wake up and this is all behind us, maybe markets are off 5%. I don't see a big move in overall valuation, even though it is tough to see today because we aren't seeing a lot of velocity in the marketplace."

Certainly for Griffin Capital, the leverage profile has changed significantly since the last recession. "In 2008 and 2009, our leverage profile as a general proposition was much higher," says Shields. "We were fairly consistently levering up to 75%. We have a different format of vehicles today, and most of our funds or registered and public. Across our platform, we are less than 50% levered and the REITs are about 40% levered. Even our multifamily portfolio is 45% levered."