Insights

Wisconsin commercial real estate insights.

Articles and market commentary from Chris Mokler and the CJM&A team.

Build vs. Buy: Which Makes More Sense in Today's Commercial Real Estate Market?
June 13, 2026 · Christopher J. Mokler

Build vs. Buy: Which Makes More Sense in Today's Commercial Real Estate Market?

For years, the answer to whether a business should build a new facility or purchase an existing property often depended on availability and timing. In June 2026, however, rising construction costs, higher financing expenses, labor shortages, and limited inventories of quality commercial properties have made the decision far more complex.

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Adaptive Reuse: Repurposing Distressed Office Space into Community Assets
June 11, 2026 · Christopher J. Mokler

Adaptive Reuse: Repurposing Distressed Office Space into Community Assets

The American office market has undergone a dramatic transformation since the pandemic. While demand for premier Class A office space has remained relatively resilient, many Class B and Class C office properties continue to struggle with elevated vacancy rates, changing workplace habits, and declining asset values. As a result, developers, municipalities, and investors are increasingly turning to adaptive reuse as a strategy to reposition underperforming office buildings into productive community assets.

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 Understanding Prescriptive Easements: When Property Rights Can Change Over Time
June 3, 2026 · Christopher J. Mokler

Understanding Prescriptive Easements: When Property Rights Can Change Over Time

Property owners often assume that if they hold title to a piece of real estate, they have complete control over who uses it. While ownership rights are strong, there are situations where another party can acquire legal rights to use a portion of someone else's property without purchasing it. One of the most common examples is a **prescriptive easement**.

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2025 Wisconsin Act 235: Wisconsin’s New Residential TID Tool for Workforce Housing
May 23, 2026 · Christopher J. Mokler

2025 Wisconsin Act 235: Wisconsin’s New Residential TID Tool for Workforce Housing

Act 235 responds to a housing problem that has become an economic-development problem. Many Wisconsin communities are not just short of housing in general; they are short of homes that local workers can realistically afford. Forward Analytics has estimated that Wisconsin needs at least 140,000 new housing units between 2020 and 2030 to keep up with demand, with additional hidden demand potentially raising the need to 227,000 units.

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May 8, 2026 · Christopher J. Mokler

THE ROLE OF A COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE APPRAISER — and How Sellers and Commercial Agents Can Help

A commercial real estate appraisal is one of the most important components of a commercial transaction. Appraisers provide an independent valuation that lenders, buyers, investors, and sellers rely upon to make informed decisions. Sellers and commercial real estate agents can play a major role in helping the appraiser understand the property accurately by supplying organized financials, improvement histories, market data, and comparable information.

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COMMERCIAL LEASE TERMS EXPLAINED
May 6, 2026 · Christopher J. Mokler

COMMERCIAL LEASE TERMS EXPLAINED

efore entering into a commercial lease, tenants and landlords should consider working with with a Commercial Real Estate Agent to help bring these items to your attention and to negotiate your needs and desires. Careful planning and negotiation can help avoid costly surprises and create a lease structure that benefits both parties for years to come.

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May 6, 2026 · Christopher J. Mokler

PART 2 - MORE ON CAP RATES

CAP rates are very practical and useful tools. As a rental property investor, one can use CAP rate to pick a market or property type to invest in, set goals and perform analysis for property acquisitions, or decide to sell an existing property.

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May 6, 2026 · Christopher J. Mokler

BUYING PROPERTY BY THE NUMBERS

It is so simple to analyze a property thoroughly and consider different situations that might occur. Having a good commercial real estate agent helps as a second pair of eyes.

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May 3, 2026 · Christopher J. Mokler

WHAT ARE LAND CONTRACTS?

A land contract can provide an alternative financing option for buyers who may not qualify for traditional financing, and a steady stream of income for sellers.

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April 23, 2026 · Christopher J. Mokler

WHAT IS A BRIDGE LOAN?

A bridge loan is a short-term loan used until a person or company secures permanent financing or removes an existing obligation. It allows the user to meet current obligations by providing immediate cash flow. Bridge loans are short term, up to one year, have relatively high interest rates, and are usually backed by some form of collateral, such as real estate or inventory.

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April 23, 2026 · Christopher J. Mokler

What would a GREAT Commercial Real Estate Agent do for you? OR Why should you hire a GREAT Commercial Real Estate Agent, rather than any other agent?

A GREAT Commercial Agent is going to bring a lot more to the table, to sell your property. There is also more to just selling the property. Are they going to help get you the best price the market will give? Are they going to help you evaluate sellers and their offers to make sure the sale will happen? Are they going to be in step with you along the way to get all details handled to make things as painless as possible and get the job done? This is not an area where it is simply acceptable to throw the property on the Multiple Listing Service and place a sign out front and wait for buyers!!!!

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Christopher J. Mokler & Associates

Commercial real estate advisory across the State of Wisconsin. Chris Mokler is a licensed Wisconsin broker and an agent of Keller Williams–Fox Cities. Powered by KW Commercial.

Offices
1990 Walter Court
Oshkosh, WI 54901
517 N. Westhill Blvd
Appleton, WI 54915
© 2026 Christopher J. Mokler & Associates. All rights reserved.
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