Real estate · Industry brief

ACRES Commercial Realty Corp. (NYSE: ACR) completed its acquisition of ACRES Capital Corp. in an all-stock transaction, issuing approximately 7.5 million shares as merger consideration and transitioning from external to internal management. The company simultaneously closed a private placement of $200 million in 8.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2031, secured by subsidiary capital stock and certain commercial real estate assets, with proceeds intended to refinance $150 million of maturing senior unsecured notes in August 2026. The internalization eliminates the existing management agreement, with the combined ACRES team holding over 40 percent of ACR common shares post-transaction. Source: PR Newswire press release from ACRES Commercial Realty Corp.

The revised Swiss Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), effective October 1, 2026, expands regulatory scope to advisors participating professionally in real estate transactions, creating significant compliance obligations for the industry. Real estate professionals including lawyers, notaries, M&A advisors, tax advisors, brokers, developers, debt advisors, and family offices must now comply with identification, record-keeping, and suspicious activity reporting duties. The new regime applies to purchase and sale transactions above CHF 5 million (with limited exemptions for owner-occupied residential properties and transactions below CHF 5 million processed through regulated financial intermediaries), as well as activities involving non-operating real estate entities and nominee arrangements. Advisors must affiliate with a FINMA-recognized self-regulatory organization by December 1, 2026, implement client onboarding procedures, conduct beneficial ownership verification, assess transaction risks, and maintain comprehensive documentation. The reform abolishes the CHF 100,000 cash threshold previously applicable to real estate dealers, now requiring due diligence reporting for any cash transaction. Source: Homburger AG legal analysis on Swiss AMLA revision.

Cushman & Wakefield reported strong Q2 2026 earnings with $2.8 billion in revenue, up 11% year-over-year, driven by expansion in facilities management, project management, and leasing businesses. Americas leasing revenue grew 35% to $524 million with particular strength in office leasing from legal, accounting, insurance and tech sectors, while industrial markets benefited from robust transaction activity and data center assignments. The company identified data center work as a major growth opportunity now comprising a quarter of its integrated facilities management pipeline, with CEO Michelle MacKay indicating the company is evaluating both organic expansion and potential inorganic moves—including possible acquisitions—to build technical capabilities and move up the data center value chain (Facilities Dive, August 5, 2026 earnings call).