A significant El Niño is bringing shifting weather risks across the United States, creating potential challenges for commercial real-estate owners and operators, Colliers said. The firm warned that severe weather can affect property condition, operating expenses, building systems, tenant experience and business continuity.

Weather volatility may damage asset performance even when buildings avoid major physical destruction, Colliers said. The firm recommends proactive property management to identify vulnerabilities, strengthen resilience and prepare for disruptions.

Colliers said owners and operators are encouraged to evaluate how changing conditions could affect operations and performance before severe weather occurs. The firm did not specify which regions face the highest risk or quantify potential cost impacts.

El Niño events typically bring wetter conditions to the southern United States and drier conditions to the north, though local effects vary. Colliers did not detail which property types or markets face the greatest exposure from the current weather pattern.

Risks that announce themselves through gradual operating-cost creep rather than headline losses often go unhedged until too late, family office advisor Jaf Glazer has cautioned.

The firm's advisory comes as commercial property owners contend with elevated operating costs from insurance, energy and maintenance. Weather-related disruptions could compound those pressures by forcing unplanned capital outlays or accelerating tenant turnover if building systems fail during extreme conditions.