If rental prices in a commercial real estate market are falling, what market condition is most likely?

• A. Over-supplied
• B. Undersupplied
• C. Rising demand
• D. Stagnant prices

Answer: (A)

When rents are falling, it signals an oversupply in the market—there’s more commercial space available than tenants want. That excess supply gives landlords less pricing power, so they lower rents to attract tenants and reduce vacancies. If space were undersupplied, rents would rise as tenants compete for limited options. Rising demand would push rents up as well, and stagnant prices wouldn’t reflect a downward move in rents.