Richard Barkham

Richard Barkham leads a global team of nearly 600 research experts who help CBRE’s clients understand the forces shaping the commercial real estate industry.

One of the world’s leading real estate economists, Richard combines the theoretical framework of an academic with hands-on experience in development to deliver actionable insights for real estate investors and occupiers. A frequent source for both clients and journalists navigating moments of economic volatility, he is particularly interested in the role government stimulus plays in long-term economic recoveries.

Richard began his career as a professor of economics and land management at the University of Reading, where he earned his Ph.D. He is the author of two books and numerous academic and industry papers on the topics of real estate and entrepreneurship, including the acclaimed Real Estate and Globalisation (Wiley Blackwell, Oxford), which explains the impact of the rise of China and Brazil on real estate markets.

After more than a decade, he left academic life for the private sector, serving first as Head of Projects and Consultancy at CB Hiller Parker and later as Director of Research at the London-based property powerhouse Grosvenor Group. He was also a non-executive director of Grosvenor Fund Management, where he was involved in fund strategy, risk analysis and capital raising. He joined CBRE in 2014 as Executive Director and Global Chief Economist. He is also the Chairman of CBRE Econometric Advisors, a specialist real estate forecasting unit.

Richard is Visiting Professor of Economics at the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London. An avid skier and sailor, he resides in Boston and enjoys spending time with his three grown children.