Two of Orlando's best-known commercial real estate professionals are teaming up as they ride out the current economic slowdown and prepare for what they hope will be a stronger market in 2009.

Charles S. Cohen, president and chief executive of Cohen Brothers Realty Corp. in Manhattan, said he has never seen the commercial real estate business so troubled in his 30 years in the business.

Although commercial real estate agents continue to call the area market "slightly better than average," vacancy rates are increasing, according to a report by Francis Rentz, an associate of Tallahassee's SouthLand Commercial.

Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Kurt Viermetz quit as supervisory board chairman of Hypo Real Estate Holding AG , five days after the commercial property lender got a 50 billion-euro ($68 billion) bailout.

HOMESTEAD, Fla.----Near the Florida Turnpike and adjacent to the Homestead Miami Speedway, ParkSouth is bringing more than 1.4 million square-feet of commercial real estate development and leasing opportunities to south Miami-Dade.