Market Reports

City of Avondale Targets Growth in Multiple Sectors

by Taylor Williams January 4, 2020

The West Valley has a strong, talented workforce in the healthcare, finance, insurance and marketing industries, which has led to job growth increasing by 40 percent in the region, according to Westmarc. It’s no surprise that the West Valley City of Avondale, Ariz., located 15 minutes west of Downtown Phoenix, is experiencing pphenomenal growth. Much of this expansion is facilitated by Avondale’s location off two major freeways, including Interstate 10 and the Loop 101. The completion of the Fairway Drive interchange off I-10 in 2020 will only solidify the city’s growing reputation as a Southwest Valley hotspot. Avondale’s city council has also made economic development a top priority. The city’s economic development toolbox is filled with opportunities for developers who are looking to go West. Avondale boasts three Opportunity Zones, infill incentives, a Greater Maricopa Foreign Trade Zone and tax credits, among other economic development incentives. The city is working hard to make itself attractive to developers looking for a region with burgeoning growth and stable leadership. One such investor is the famous Chicago hot dog chain Portillo’s, which recently opened an 8,000-square-foot restaurant in Avondale. Other high-quality restaurants have been cropping up in the busy Gateway area around 99th …

January 4, 2020

Arizona Market Reports Retail Western Western Market Reports

Phoenix Retailers Move To Be Upfront, Center

by Taylor Williams August 31, 2019

With all the changes occurring in retail over the past decade, the industry, as a whole, is being transformed before our eyes. These shifts have impacted how new retail development is taking place throughout the Phoenix area. It is also driving a significant change to how retail developers will operate over the next decade. The operational changes are dramatically affecting the prototypes of retailers. These changes are making it necessary for some retailers to relocate from an inline space at the back of a center to an outparcel with street-front visibility. It becomes even more complicated as more and more tenants are demanding a drive-thru. Panera Bread, Chipotle and Starbucks are just a few examples of retailers that have revised their real estate requirements to accommodate a drive-thru. Many retailers are also consolidating their total number of stores or downsizing their traditional physical footprint, which is also impacting centers. Some chains have even waved the white flag and closed their business altogether. These changes are driving the design of new retail projects throughout Phoenix. While the traditional configurations of regional malls, power centers and neighborhood shopping centers will always be a staple, the retailer’s shift to be up front and …

August 31, 2019

Arizona Market Reports Multifamily Western Western Market Reports

Phoenix Market Demand Sustains Multifamily Devleopment

by Taylor Williams August 30, 2019

Multifamily rental demand in Metro Phoenix has been supported by higher education, while job growth has bolstered construction in the core and neighboring suburbs. Arizona State University has transformed the multifamily properties surrounding its large campuses in Tempe, Downtown Phoenix, Glendale and Mesa. The multifamily rental assets in the West Valley submarket have also been rejuvenated by Grand Canyon University. Thanks to these institutions and several others in the Greater Phoenix area, the growing skilled labor force has benefitted from job growth by supporting several Fortune 500 companies that have continued to increase their presence throughout the region. The recent expansions allow more graduates to remain in the Phoenix area and attract many new professionals to the market, ultimately enhancing rental demand in Phoenix and its neighboring suburbs. The rising number of residences has compressed vacancy rates in the metro as thousands of units are absorbed annually. This market demand will support the continued rise in rental prices and spur apartment development in the upcoming years. Apartment development has continued its strong pace in Phoenix. The metro is expanding its rental supply with about 8,250 units finalizing in 2019. Of this year’s deposit, roughly 2,600 units will be added to …

August 30, 2019

Arizona Industrial Market Reports Western Western Market Reports

Phoenix Eyes Industrial Prospects, Industrial Prospects Eye Phoenix

by Taylor Williams August 24, 2019

Phoenix is known for its strength as a logistics and distribution market. This is particularly true in the Southwest Valley, which has become the poster child for all that makes Phoenix industrial space great: strong population growth, a deep and qualified workforce, an abundance of land and building opportunities, and a lower-cost, business-friendly regulatory environment. As of the second quarter, these benefits helped the Southwest Valley emerge as No. 1 in the nation for industrial prospects looking for space (based on interest from at least 83 tenants with a maximum requirement of more than 30 million square feet). These prospects include national and regional distribution centers, third-party distribution providers, major ecommerce users, and a robust food and beverage sector led by companies like Fairlife Dairy, UFI, Ferrara Candy and Red Bull. It also comes from the reshoring of manufacturing from organizations like Hutamaki, Ball Enclosure and Anderson Windows. Data centers continue to flock to Phoenix as well, purchasing about 2,000 acres over the past 24 months and positioning the Valley among the nation’s top five U.S. data center markets. Data center interests like Microsoft, Vantage Data and Google have selected Phoenix for its low natural disaster risk, ample affordable land …

August 24, 2019

Arizona Market Reports Multifamily Western Western Market Reports

Phoenix Apartment Market Remains Red-Hot, Fueling Influx of New Capital

by Taylor Williams August 23, 2019

It isn’t just temperatures that are scorching in the Phoenix metro this summer. The multifamily rental market is hot as well; and vigorous demand is coming from both renters and investors. Investors are snapping up apartment properties and paying hefty prices. Buyers spent $3.72 billion on 94 Phoenix-area apartment complexes in the first half of 2019, a 41.8 percent jump from the first half of 2018. Sales in the $50 million range experienced the greatest rate of acceleration. The Driving Factors Behind Strong Demand Phoenix is the fastest-growing city in the U.S., according to recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The region saw an increase of 25,288 new residents between 2017 and 2018, topping all other U.S. cities. One reason for that growth is that Phoenix remains more affordable than many other large U.S. metros. People are flocking to the Valley from high-cost, high-tech cities like Los Angeles and San Diego. Phoenix also boasts a thriving job market that includes a fast-growing, high-paying tech sector. Other booming industries include bioscience/healthcare and financial services. In fact, the Phoenix metro led the U.S. for new jobs created from May 2018 to May 2019 with 66,500 non-farm jobs, representing 3.2 percent …

August 23, 2019

Arizona Market Reports Office Western Western Market Reports

Phoenix Earns Spotlight on National Stage Among Office Users

by Taylor Williams August 16, 2019

Greater Phoenix has re-cast itself in this real estate cycle. It is no longer expected to play the “boom-to-bust” role in the office sector. The metro area has definitely expanded its breadth of industries, reaching beyond homebuilding and professional services to now feature some of the country’s leading insurance corporations, technology companies and medical innovators. This diversification promises to buffer any future fall in nationwide economic activity. Greater Phoenix continues to lead the country in job creation, adding an estimated 66,500 net new jobs between May 2018 and May 2019, marking a 3.2 percent increase. These jobs are coming from companies like Carvana, AllState and WageWorks. Phoenix has benefitted from great exposure from in the national media, which has matriculated to corporate America and attracted broad attention. The Greater Phoenix MSA boasts a phenomenal combination of attractive cost of living, growing wages and an enviable lifestyle. This package of appealing factors has allowed Phoenix to garner more than its fair share of corporate expansions and relocations throughout the Western U.S. Demand has been strong for office space in the area. However, a diminishing availability of quality, speculative space is creating a battle for the tenants. Sizable users wanting signature spaces …

August 16, 2019

Arizona Market Reports Multifamily Western Western Market Reports

Job, Population Growth Spur Phoenix’s Multifamily Market

by Taylor Williams February 19, 2019

The multifamily investment activity in Metro Phoenix remains extremely strong. This is driven by the employment and population growth in these markets, as well as by the affordability of rental housing compared to other parts of the nation. The employment growth has occurred in many segments, including technology, medical and finance. Technology companies are focused on cities where universities provide an abundant supply of skilled labor for these types of jobs. Arizona State University (ASU) in Metro Phoenix is one of the largest universities in the country with more than 87,000 students. It is working hand in hand with technology companies and other expanding employers to provide the education their students will need to fulfill openings in the market. A skilled workforce and affordable housing have been strong pulls for companies looking to relocate, expand or get off the ground. The increases in jobs and population have led to further increases in rent, occupancy, construction and absorption. The public’s changing perception about home ownership and the freedom that renting allows — along with the amenities provided in many of today’s apartment communities — has propelled multifamily demand in Metro Phoenix. The area’s overall vacancy rate for the third quarter was …

February 19, 2019

Arizona Development Industrial Market Reports Western Western Market Reports

Phoenix Is Defined by Land, Labor, Logistics

by Taylor Williams February 12, 2019

Phoenix has long enjoyed the benefits of land, labor and logistics. In today’s ecommerce-driven market, however, those benefits are propelling the Valley’s industrial activity, and opportunity, to new heights. The region has absorbed more than 5.8 million square feet of industrial space year-to-date. It has also welcomed almost 5 million square feet of new industrial construction, while industrial vacancy rates still sit below 7 percent — their lowest levels in 12 years. Some of this activity can be credited to the price and availability of our land. This typically involves large parcels in the West Valley within close proximity to freeways that are often available at $5 per square foot to $6 per square foot. This is attracting tremendous big box interest, particularly in the Southwest Valley submarket where much of the metro’s more than 5.7 million square feet of new construction is occurring. Lincoln Property Company delivered one of the largest of these developments this past December: the $85 million, 901,700-square-foot Lincoln Logistics Center 40. Underscoring high confidence in the industrial sector, Lincoln Logistics 40 was developed fully speculative with amenities that target ecommerce and logistics-focused users. Among these are 40’ clear height ceilings, sophisticated cross-dock configuration, and extensive …

February 12, 2019

Arizona Market Reports Mixed-Use Western Western Market Reports

Collaboration is More Vital Than Ever to Keep Construction Schedules on Track

by Camren Skelton March 28, 2017

With commercial construction activity up by double digits in 2016 and projected to increase another 5 percent in 2017, the industry continues to keep a keen eye on labor shortages and construction costs. This rings even more true in the face of today’s increasingly stringent financing requirements — a critical project element that can push construction schedules out by months and, in the process, create challenges with accurate pro forma data, true labor schedules and pricing. The balance between schedule shifts and a backlog of work has proven particularly challenging for the entire industry, and presumably shows no sign of relief. For optimal success, teams must diligently focus on cross-functional communication, design-build principles and early strategic planning to protect from the pitfalls of 2017’s momentum. Focusing on this early planning gives clients two of the greatest advantages available in our current building climate: a forum for unearthing issues proactively and time to plan for solutions. In cases where design-build isn’t possible, teams can still capture the benefits of this concept by getting the right knowledge leaders at the table early on, providing significant results to project cost savings, resource management and logistics planning. The Labor Issue While the industry jockeys …

March 28, 2017

Arizona Market Reports Multifamily Western Western Market Reports

Demand, Product Coming to Phoenix’s Multifamily Market

by Camren Skelton March 14, 2017

With record-low cap rates dipping as far as 2.9 percent, the nation’s top multifamily markets have become expensive. In response, investors have turned to secondary markets like Phoenix, where upside potential is still strong, pricing is manageable and cap rates are hovering in the high 4 percent to mid-5 percent range. Although multifamily sales have maintained their accelerated pace nationwide, that pace is being driven by secondary markets — particularly in the West. Metro Phoenix captured more than $5.2 billion of this activity, up significantly from its previous peak of $4.6 billion in total multifamily sales in 2006. As of year-end 2016, the average multifamily price per unit in Phoenix was $110,000, compared to a national average of $145,000 for properties valued at more than $2.5 million. In the eyes of investors, Phoenix offers a stable inventory of existing Class A and B product, and a wave of new Class A units that have taken luxury in the market to a new level. This high-end product provides a key benefit for investors: it attracts residents who are willing and able to pay premium rents for a better lifestyle. The Valley is in a good position to support luxury product, with …

March 14, 2017

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