Features

A Cinematic Horror: How the Pandemic Has Impacted Movie Theater Property Values

by Kristin Harlow November 16, 2021

By Molly Luhrs, Popp Hutcheson Diminishing tax liability may offer a silver lining amid a horror show of declining property values playing out for owners of silver screen properties across the nation. Many theater owners will pay more than their fair share in property taxes, however, unless and until they educate local tax assessors of the sinister influences that oppress their businesses. Movie theaters have been one of the hardest-hit industries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Spaces where the big screen once lit the faces of attentive viewers fell dark and silent, to sit lifeless for months. Studios released only 23 films in 2020, the fewest since 2003, and box offices sold less than 225 million tickets. As regulations eased, cinemas emerged far behind the pack of other businesses in a race to resume normal operations. Now, most states are allowing 100 percent occupancy in movie theaters; however, this does not mean movie-goers are rushing back to theaters. What is there to attract them? Some of the most anticipated new movies had their 2020 premiere dates pushed to middle or late 2021, with some even transitioning directly to streaming platforms like HBO. On top of the lack of content, theaters are …

November 16, 2021

Elevated Tenant Demand Reshapes Life Sciences, Laboratory Facility Designs

by Taylor Williams November 11, 2021

By Isabel Mandujano, director of lab planning, LPA Inc. The COVID-19 pandemic brought to the forefront the importance of research and innovation in life sciences, which is driving incredible demand for new construction of these and laboratory facilities. At the same time, an increasing focus on the health and wellness of life sciences workers is pushing innovation in the way these facilities are designed and constructed — as well as with regard to the roles these spaces play for employees and surrounding communities. Adaptive Reuse The biggest challenge within this space is getting life sciences facilities built fast enough to meet the high tenant demand. One common solution is to adaptively reuse existing office space, which has become increasingly available with continued work-from-home and hybrid work schedules for traditional office workers. In addition to being a more environmentally friendly solution, this approach shortens project timelines significantly and allows end users to move in and start using the space much more quickly. The conversion of space that was not originally designed for laboratory use comes with the complex technical challenges of upgrading the required infrastructure and adapting less-than-ideal physical space. An integrated team of architects, designers and engineers is best suited …

November 11, 2021

Conference Coverage Features Multifamily Seniors Housing

Active Adult Communities Thrived During Height of Pandemic, Say NIC Panelists

by Taylor Williams November 9, 2021

By Jeff Shaw HOUSTON — Although the seniors housing industry as a whole suffered big setbacks throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, hitting record-low occupancy rates across the board, one sub-segment was an exception to the rule. “During COVID there were clear winners and losers in commercial real estate,” said Aron Will, vice chairman of debt and structured finance at CBRE and co-head of CBRE Senior Housing. “Industrial, life sciences, medical office and multifamily were very clear winners. But one asset class that’s been overlooked is active adult, as it was also a very clear winner.” Although there is much discussion around how to define the active adult segment, generally it’s an age-restricted apartment community for physically healthy seniors who don’t yet need the services in independent living such as meal preparation, cleaning or assistance with the activities of daily living. Without temporary government regulations stopping move-ins to active adult communities — plus a younger, healthier resident than in independent living or assisted living — active adult communities thrived during the pandemic. Lease renewal rates were 80 percent; collections were close to 100 percent and the segment experienced “phenomenal rent growth,” according to Will. Will’s comments came during a panel he moderated …

November 9, 2021

Build-to-Rent Content Partner Development Features Midwest Multifamily Northeast Southeast Texas Walker & Dunlop Western

Demographic, Economic Trends Likely to Sustain Build-For-Rent Sector’s Growth

by Sarah Daniels November 4, 2021

Institutional investors have been increasingly interested in the build-for-rent (BFR) space over the last five years. But the pandemic poured gasoline on an asset class that offers tenants space, privacy and the flexibility of renting. Now that COVID appears to be receding in some areas, can the BFR sector maintain its growth? Paul Garner, director at Walker & Dunlop, believes that demographic and economic trends will maintain the demand for BFR, especially in the Sun Belt states, for the near future. Opportunities for Growth and a Focus on the Sun Belt Garner sees the most potential for BFR growth in suburban areas — particularly those located 15 to 20 minutes outside of a metropolitan statistical area. The economic growth and increasing populations of nearby cities determine whether suburban BFR setups will attract tenants. According to Garner, the dedicated BFR/single-family rental (SFR) team at Walker & Dunlop has started to see a lot of action similar to what they saw on the West Coast (especially in Arizona) four or five years ago. He notes, “BFR properties are becoming increasingly popular all throughout the Sun Belt states, especially Florida and the Carolinas. There’s a potential in this area to get land very, …

November 4, 2021

Features

ULI Forecast: Transaction Volumes Poised to Bounce Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels

by Katie Sloan November 3, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. — While the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being felt across all sectors of commercial real estate, economists are forecasting strong recovery in the years ahead. This prediction comes from the Fall 2021 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Economic Forecast for 2021 to 2023. The semiannual survey polled 49 economists and analysts at 36 leading real estate organizations on 27 key economic and real estate indicators, ranging from GDP and employment figures to commercial real estate transactions and property sector performance. US GDP shrank 3.4 percent in 2020 — the first economic contraction since 2009. Recovery from the pandemic is expected to occur dramatically faster than what transpired following the Great Recession of 2007-2009, according to Washington, D.C.-based ULI. A bounceback in growth of 5.7 percent is expected in 2021 with continued growth of 4 percent in 2022. The U.S. economy recorded a net loss of 9.42 million jobs in 2020. Economists predict a two-year recovery process is imminent, with a growth of 6 million jobs in 2021 and 3.7 million jobs in 2022 for total growth marginally exceeding the jobs lost. Further growth of 2.2 million jobs is forecast in 2023. The inflation forecast for 2021 …

November 3, 2021

Lee & Associates Breaks Down Third-Quarter Economic Outlook by Sector

by Sarah Daniels November 1, 2021

The calculus for which asset classes are likeliest to demonstrate strong growth continues to shift as the pandemic appears to be receding. Patterns in labor shortages, supply chain issues and material costs have managed to solidify through the third quarter of 2021. Lee & Associates’ newly released Q3 2021 North America Market Report dissects third-quarter 2021 industrial, office, retail and multifamily findings, with a focus on where demand is moving and the challenges facing each asset class. Lee & Associates has made the full market report available at this link (with further breakdowns of factors like vacancy rates, market rents, inventory square footage and cap rates by city). Below is a bird’s-eye overview of four commercial real estate asset classes as general categories, broken down to frame each through the trends and complications they faced up to the fourth quarter, according to Lee & Associates’ research. Industrial: Q3 Posts More Record Demand Pandemic-fueled consumer spending drove up third-quarter demand for warehouse and distribution facilities that eclipsed previous records. And despite a nationwide surge in new construction, some metros can barely accommodate the pace of tenant expansion. Additionally, year-over-year rent growth is at a record 6.7 percent for the industrial property sector …

November 1, 2021

Acquisitions Features Illinois Midwest Restaurant Retail

JLL: Shoppers Returning to Lifestyle Shopping Centers Propels Investor Resurgence

by John Nelson October 28, 2021

CHICAGO — Lifestyle shopping centers, or open-air malls, may be one of the most undervalued retail asset classes currently. According to JLL, increased customer foot traffic, declining vacancies coupled with growing rental rates and broad-based expansion plans from retailers are bolstering confidence, as well as signaling that lifestyle shopping centers will come back strongly. While smaller grocery-anchored retail centers have dominated investment demand recently, the increase in COVID-19 vaccinations and reopenings are motivating shoppers — and investors — to return to other retail segments. Lifestyle centers were conceived as a modern-day interpretation of the mall and are known for their outdoor settings and incorporation of other uses like office, apartments and hotels. Their tenant mixes also usually include upscale, national chains, as well as specialty retail with dining and entertainment options. “Leasing demand from new tenants in the market, such as digitally native brands, as well as traditional mall retailers looking for an off-mall growth strategy, are accelerating the desirability of this asset class to consumers,” said Chris Angelone, senior managing director of JLL and co-leader of its capital markets retail division. “Investors are taking notice and will seek out performance and growth potential. Two to four years from now, …

October 28, 2021

Features Life Sciences Retail Texas

Falling in Love: A New Way to Think About Commercial Real Estate

by John Nelson October 26, 2021

By Spencer Levy, CBRE In the wake of COVID-19, many sophisticated commercial real estate advisors and investors are rejecting the old industry adage to “never fall in love with your real estate.” That’s because commercial real estate — like so many investment decisions — is influenced by basic human emotions. And unlike stocks or bonds, office buildings, shopping malls and warehouse facilities are not traded like a commodity. Commercial real estate decisions by both investors and occupiers can’t be entirely data driven. Of course, deep financial analysis, sophisticated data and powerful algorithms are important. But data is often significantly impacted by human emotion. That’s why psychology can have as much influence on real estate decision-making as cold, hard math. COVID-19 duress At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2020, CBRE’s semiannual Office Occupier Sentiment Survey found that 39 percent of large companies planned to significantly reduce their commercial real estate footprint (meaning cuts of roughly a third or more). But in our latest Spring 2021 survey, as the world began to emerge from the pandemic, that number anticipating significant cuts was down to only 9 percent. What accounts for such a stark difference? Emotion. In 2020, there was …

October 26, 2021

Features Life Sciences

Emerging Trends 2022 Report: Flexibility, Resilience to Drive Commercial Real Estate for Next Decade

by Jeff Shaw October 21, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Flexibility, convenience and ultimately commercial real estate’s resilience will drive the industry over the next decade as owners respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s according to Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2022, an annual report jointly produced by PwC US and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). The report includes proprietary data and insights from nearly 1,700 leading real estate industry experts, gathered both through in-person interviews and a survey. Consumer expectations of traditionally designed spaces have changed, and there will likely be a massive shift in the functionality of homes, offices, shopping centers and healthcare spaces, according to Washington, D.C.-based ULI. Property markets that were once predictable will likely remain in a bubble of uncertainty, but decision-making confidence has improved since last year, the report found. Three-quarters of respondents in the 2022 survey report feeling confident making those same long-term strategic decisions compared to less than half in the 2021 survey. Property investment is top of mind for institutional investors in both traditional and alternative sectors as risk remains low and interest rates stay attractive. Urban landscapes are facing change as new land uses and updated zoning allow markets to evolve. All these factors …

October 21, 2021

Development Features Multifamily Student Housing

Student Housing Supply, Demand Reach Healthy Balance

by Jeff Shaw October 19, 2021

There are 11 university markets set to add 1,000 or more student housing beds this year, according to data from RealPage. The Richardson, Texas-based research firm tracks new construction, rental rates and leasing activity in 175 core university markets for its student housing data. Overall, RealPage reports that approximately 42,000 new purpose-built student housing beds will deliver in 2021, which falls into the firm’s normal supply growth range of 40,000 to 50,000 beds annually. Carl Whitaker, senior manager of market analytics at RealPage, says that figure is an encouraging sign given the uncertainty and disruptions of the past year from the COVID-19 pandemic. “That 42,000-bed number was about what we hoped to see,” says Whitaker. “The pandemic was so sudden that developers that were looking to build in 2021 had gotten just far enough down the planning process that they went ahead and proceeded as if it was a normal year.” In Walker & Dunlop’s annual year-end student housing report (2020), the Bethesda, Maryland-based firm found that 38,036 student housing beds will come on-line in 2021, which is a 27 percent decrease from 2020. For both 2020 and 2021, the Southeastern United States is dominating in terms of new student …

October 19, 2021

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