While the Consumer Price Index did not change, the core price reading – which excludes food and energy spending – increased 0.2 percent. When comparing year-over-year figures, consumer prices increased 2.3 percent. This was the same as the core price reading, which shows inflation did not outpace spending. That has not occurred since October 2009.

"There's a lot of slack in the economy," Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James & Associates, told Bloomberg. "[Inflation is] sort of at the sweet spot as far as the Fed is concerned. The recovery is on track but it's not especially strong."

Stable consumer spending may encourage more consumers to consider renting, if they have not done so already, since loan approval is still difficult. This could turn out positively for property management companies, as it could help cut down vacancies and improve rental prices. The U.S. Census Bureau noted in April that the first quarter experienced a decline in rental vacancies to 8.8 percent. This was 0.6 percentage points below the fourth quarter's figure.

In April, the Architecture Billings Index fell to 48.4, down from March's figure of 50.4. This was a dip into negative territory, as any figure below 50 notes a decline in billings. Before April, there had been five consecutive positive months.

"Considering the continued volatility in the overall economy, this decline in demand for design services isn’t terribly surprising," said Dr. Kermit Baker, chief economist for the AIA. "Also, favorable conditions during the winter months may have accelerated design billings, producing a pause in projects that have moved ahead faster than expected."

Both the Northeast and Midwest experienced mildly positive figures in April, as the two regions scored a 51 and 50.1, respectively, the report noted. The South experienced a 49, while the West was at 48. The multifamily residential industry experienced a reading of 50.5.

A decline in overall billings may signal that fewer commercial property companies have decided to develop new properties. However, with the rapid improvement in some sectors of the commercial industry, this may only be a slow period.

People who move into a new area may not have much familiarity with the area. It could benefit all parties for the tenant to feel as comfortable as possible, she noted, so they are content to stay. This could help if a manager informs the new resident where the nice restaurants are, what there is to do in the area and other interesting pointers about the surroundings.

Furthermote, Fiur explained that giving information about the property itself could be vital. While many may already do this, it could help to have a default list of items to cover. The superintendent's information, as well as an emergency contact will be useful. Even the number of an affiliated or trusted exterminator could prove important.

Fiur added that a little gift for the new tenant may make them feel more at home and valued. Whether it is a bottle of champagne or something else, this could help build good relations at an early point in the tenant relationship.

In total, mortgage originations for multifamily properties increased by 45 percent year-over-year during the first quarter. This pushed commercial and multifamily market activity to improve 36 percent above the same point in 2011. However, mortgage originations declined by 12 percent when compared to the fourth quarter, while total multifamily lending was down 22 percent.

"Borrowing and lending on commercial and multifamily properties continues to rebound from the lows seen during the Great Recession," said Jamie Woodwell, MBA's vice president of commercial real estate research. "The low interest rates and stabilization in commercial real estate fundamentals that raised origination levels by 55 percent in 2011 are continuing to buoy activity in 2012."

The gaps between the fourth quarter and the first quarter may have been due to the multifamily industry's desire to have a strong end to the year, as the first quarter is typically slower for many companies, the report added.

Experts at the 2012 ULI Spring Meeting said that commercial mortgage backed securities are considered healthy, but these have a lack of demand. Despite this, there is an increasing demand for refinances, and much of this may be due to low mortgage interest rates, the news source reported.

With this in mind, the low rates could affect deleveraging. Many loans are set for maturity in the coming years, according to the news source. As long as this trend continues, financial institutions could be willing to loosen lending restrictions and keep terms affordable. Some experts think that CMBS loans may be set for an active market through 2017. This is due to mortgages from 2007 set to mature on a 10-year schedule.

Favorable mortgage terms for American commercial mortgage loans may help encourage more commercial property managers to take advantage of affordable deals in the short-term.

The firm's Spring 2012 U.S. Multifamily Report explained that more than half of metropolitan areas tracked actually had vacancy rates lower than 5 percent. In addition, every area experienced an improvement in total rentals. This is expected to continue throughout the year, and with continued increases in employment, the market could be set for substantial improvement.

Continued multifamily improvement has been a theme post-recession for multiple reasons.

"Over the course of the last two years, multifamily has emerged as the strongest commercial property type in terms of overall demand and asset appreciation," the company said in the report.

New York City experienced the lowest vacancy rate in the report, while Minneapolis, Portland, San Jose and Seattle all had vacancy levels below 3 percent.

Furthermore, the report explained that many younger people, especially the "echo boomer" population, are coming to the age and financial ability to rent. These consumers could help keep rental figures at elevated levels for the foreseeable future.

Global and national economic concerns, including issues with taxes and the Eurozone, were cited as a main reason for the diminished sentiment in the CRE market for the following year, executives noted in the second-quarter survey.

The "Overall Index," which is a mark of how the CRE market is performing, was recorded at 70 for the second quarter – up from a reading of 68 in the first quarter.

"Fostering a commercial real estate recovery that extends beyond so-called 'Class A' or trophy assets in gateway markets still depends on an improved jobs picture, more confidence among businesses and consumers, and reduced uncertainty on looming tax and budget issues," said Daniel M. Neidich, RER's Chairman.

He added that the survey reinforces the widely held belief by industry members that more policies that would improve the nation's jobs sector and investment market are needed.

Property investment among commercial real estate companies would likely increase should various economic factors show improvement during the remainder of 2012.

Speaking at the 48th Annual Conference on Bank Structure and Competition in Chicago on May 10, Bernanke stated various areas of concern remain roadblocks to a better lending market in CRE.

"Financing conditions in the commercial real estate sector also remain strained as fundamentals, including high vacancy rates, depressed property prices, and the poor quality of existing loans, continue to be weak," he said.

However, Bernanke did note that lending restrictions for CRE have eased this year. He cited data from the Fed's most recent quarterly Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices, which shows the first net easing in lending standards for CRE since 2005.

A report by the National Association of Realtors indicates CRE lending was tight in 2011, particularly for small businesses.

However, commercial real estate companies may see increased opportunities to secure loans as the year progresses if banks and lenders continue to ease their restrictions.

The U.S. General Services Administration's report showed that three certification systems out of a pool of 180 were considered to be acceptable after a second examination. The first attempt did not find anything conclusive. The three options are the Green Building Initiative's Green Globes, the International Living Building Challenge and the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Overall, the federal government owns or leases a total of 3.4 billion square feet of commercial real estate space, and the GSA is in charge of approximately 9,600 properties in the government portfolio, the report explained. Due to a rule requiring extensive reviews of energy standards every five years – especially with the new procedures in place – there is need for further review.

Property managers and builders may benefit from using one of these guidelines, as it may help properties not only reduce costs, but possibly attract more energy-minded tenants.

NAR's Commercial Real Estate 2012 Lending Survey showed that while large financial institutions improved their lending practices and volumes, smaller banks were more hesitant. Approximately three in 10 properties that were purchased in 2011 were completed with cash. Small property management companies depend highly on small financial institutions, and a lack of lending can hurt the ability to increase overall transactions.

"This is very much a tale of two markets," said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for NAR. "There have been notable improvements in capital for large commercial transactions valued at $2.5 million or higher, but there remain significant challenges for small business."

The report added that one-quarter of respondents felt that lending regulations are more stringent now than one year ago, while half noted that they haven't changed. Another 20 percent felt that these practices have loosened, but not significantly.