With traditional sources of capital constrained or unavailable, a government program called EB-5 is attracting interest from commercial real estate developers. Many have chosen to form regional centers to attract foreign investors willing to invest $500,000 for the opportunity to obtain temporary, then permanent visas.

Why is build-to-suit financing relevant now? The answer is pretty basic. “The days of speculative building are done,” she said. “There’s less demand and financing is gone.”