CRE forum panelists discuss the pandemicâs affect on commercial, residential development Monday, April 26, 2021 11:46 AM There’s little doubt that the pandemic has had a wide-reaching effect on the commercial and residential real estate and development landscape. On Thursday during the Business Record’s annual CRE virtual forum, eight panelists described how the pandemic has affected the various sectors of the construction and development industries and the outlook for the next year. Topics touched on included financing of proposed projects, changes occurring in offices to make environments safe for workers, rising costs and availability of construction materials, and housing affordability.