The economy may have already started the upward path to recovery in the third quarter. After a devastating second quarter, there was an uptick in commercial real estate activity in the third quarter and a notable improvement in economic fundamentals. All of this suggests that the recovery has begun.

"We are certainly seeing an uptick in activity in Q3 compared to Q2. In Q2, there were a lot of unanswered questions and uncertainty that had many investors sitting on the sidelines," John Williams, president and CIO at Avanath Capital Management, tells GlobeSt.com. "The economy has gradually begun to rebound as businesses have started to re-open and individuals are going back to the office. This is a slower pace recovery, but certainly a glimpse that we will see the economy eventually rebound. That said, we are not completely out of the woods yet, however, we are very optimistic."

In commercial real estate, investors have adapted to the new market environment, including health and safety regulations that limit in-person meetings, travel and property tours and inspections. "We are now seeing the industry adjust and adapt and finding new ways to get deals done," says Williams. "For example, one way that we have been able to remain active is by conducting due diligence by using virtual techniques, such as drones. We have completed several acquisitions over the last several months. This includes our recent acquisitions of Saxton Trace in Florida, Cameron Court and North End in Detroit, MI and Cascades Village in Sterling, Virginia."