Market Reports

Investment Demand Heats Up for Multi-Use Logistics Assets in New Jersey

by Taylor Williams May 14, 2021

By Alex Kachris, research manager — Northeast industrial region, JLL Industrial commercial real estate had its second-best year on record in 2020, with U.S. transaction volume nearing $96 billion. As competition among investors for industrial product remains strong in 2021, JLL Capital Markets Research isolated one sub-class that is gaining investor interest: multi-use logistics. The multi-use logistics profile includes older, multi-tenant assets ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 square feet that have solid footprints within infill urban logistics markets. These assets, which often have diversified, local tenant bases, usually house a mix of distribution, flex showroom, industrial showroom, R&D, warehouse and/or manufacturing space. Multi-use logistics assets boast compelling rent growth profiles and strong long-term outlooks. With new, yield-focused investors jumping into the industrial space, multi-use logistics product is desirable as an alternative to the bulk industrial market, which is getting tighter. Given that multi-use logistics facilities are generally older properties, population centers have exploded around these assets, making not only almost impossible to replace but highly sought-after as last-mile logistics locations close to end users. Compounded by industry fundamentals that are driven by macroeconomic factors, including reshoring and acceleration of e-commerce adoption, the increased demand for these smaller, multi-tenant industrial assets …

May 14, 2021

Market Reports Multifamily New Jersey Northeast Northeast Market Reports

Multifamily Is A Force Multiplier in Northern New Jersey’s Economic Recovery

by Taylor Williams May 4, 2021

By Ken Uranowitz, president, Gebroe-Hammer Associates When it comes to investment in multifamily properties, as in life, change is constant. Between evolving tenant demographics and political climates to recessionary economies and a once-in-a-century pandemic, multifamily assets are continuing to prove their centuries-old knack for pivoting in times of change. Unlike any other commercial asset class, multifamily possesses an unrivaled level of agility rooted in its most-important attribute: People always need a safe place to call home. In good times and turbulent periods, apartment living offers a tremendous level of flexibility based on point-in-time needs. While past recessionary times may have had red-flag indicators of things to come, nothing prepared us for the rippling effects of COVID-19. This virus tested us in ways never seen before. Collectively, we found ourselves in uncharted waters due to the sudden and abrupt measures imposed to slow the spread of COVID-19. While these challenges are being addressed, with the passage of time, health and wellbeing remain paramount. In this regard, multifamily properties have played an integral role in providing tenants and communities with the most basic needs of shelter, a place to live and a place from which to telecommute for work or education. A …

May 4, 2021

Market Reports New Jersey Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office

Tenant Negotiating Power, Flexible Work Routines Prevail in Central/Northern New Jersey Office Market

by Taylor Williams April 29, 2021

By David Simon, SIOR, COO, NAI DiLeo-Bram Having recently surpassed the one-year mark since COVID-19 reached the United States, we can now better assess the pandemic’s impact on our local office market. Reviewing a year of data and market activity helps paint a more detailed picture of where things stand currently and may be headed. The overall direct vacancy rate for the combined counties of Essex, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union New Jersey has risen 120 basis points since the start of the pandemic to 12.7 percent. Much of the space becoming vacant or available is higher-quality product; in fact the Class A direct vacancy rate has risen 180 basis points during the pandemic and is currently 17 percent. As a result, tenants looking in this segment of the market have a broad selection of high-quality office product. Sublet space has followed a similar trend to that of direct space, marking a 70 basis point increase since the start of the pandemic. More than 1.1 million square feet of Class A sublease product has become available during this period. Notwithstanding the statistics above, our firm recently completed over 28,000 square feet of office leases in Middlesex County, at 100 Metroplex …

April 29, 2021

Market Reports New Jersey Northeast Northeast Market Reports Retail

Diverse Mix of Retailers, Restaurants Remain Active in Northern New Jersey

by Taylor Williams April 13, 2021

By Danielle Brunelli, president, R.J. Brunelli & Co. On both the landlord and tenant sides, 2020 was a tough year for the Northern New Jersey retail market. But as some of the industry’s most optimistic voices predicted, the hard times are passing, and actually passing fairly quickly. In 2020, we saw leasing activity decline by almost 30 percent year over year. This languishing activity resulted in a 3.1 percent drop in the market rent on a per-square-foot basis. Over the past couple years, there were several bankruptcies in the works that were accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. These bankruptcies resulted in many new vacancies in the region, including former stores of Modells, Justice, Pier 1 Imports, Tuesday Morning, Steinmart and others. However, light has appeared at the end of the tunnel, and we are seeing renewed leasing activity as we close the first quarter of 2021. Users including Planet Fitness, Dollar Tree, Harbor Freight, Raymour and Flanigan, salon suites concepts, Five Below and others are leasing up vacant spaces quickly. Tenant Expansions A good example of an essential service business that has benefited from an increase in sales throughout the pandemic and aggressively expanded in the region in 2020 is …

April 13, 2021

Development Market Reports New Jersey Northeast Market Reports

Not Urban, Not Suburban: Why Surban Living is Here to Stay

by Taylor Williams March 25, 2021

By Lenny Tartamella, COO of Larken Associates Since the moment the first subdivision was built, the debate defining the residential and multifamily development process has been centered around the core question of, “Where do people want to live?” As we look to answer this question in 2021, the answer is not as clear as it seemed only several years ago. It is obvious that the living preferences of millennials — those born between 1981 and 1996 who at 70 million now represent the largest segment of the U.S. adult population — and the generation after them, Gen Z, will be a key piece of the answer. Similarly, and not to be forgotten when we are answering this question, the preferences of seniors and those nearing retirement age will also factor heavily into how our multifamily communities continue to evolve. While the differences between those two groups already make answering the core question behind multifamily development difficult, the COVID-19 pandemic and its disruption to how we live, work and play have only added further complexity to the answer. However, as we move towards a post-pandemic future of a live-work-play lifestyle, a new word is entering our lexicon that precisely defines where this …

March 25, 2021

Industrial Market Reports New Jersey Northeast Northeast Market Reports

Demand-Build-Repeat Cycle Characterizes Southern New Jersey Industrial Market

by Taylor Williams February 8, 2021

By Scott Mertz, SIOR, president, NAI Mertz The industrial sector has proven to be the only entity with innate immunity to the coronavirus. The onset of the virus has had nary an impact on the soaring demand, rising lease rates and rapid pace of new construction in the major industrial markets throughout the nation. If anything, the increased reliance on home delivery due to stay-at-home orders has only elevated the need for well-located warehouse space from e-commerce companies. That’s been the story in Southern New Jersey, where demand remains high and inventory is in short supply. The vacancy rate has dropped below 4.5 percent, and market rent has been on a steady ascent, standing at $6.55 per square foot at the end of 2020. With more players than open seats, it’s no surprise that developers are seeking to build on any viable plot of land in the region. Construction start activity reached a crescendo in the third quarter of 2020 with 4.2 million square feet entering development. All told, there is 7.1 million square feet of new construction on the way in Southern New Jersey. Many of these facilities will be delivered to market fully occupied. Over the past five …

February 8, 2021

Market Reports New Jersey Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office

Will 2020 Be A Year to Remember or Forget for the New Jersey Office Market?

by Taylor Williams January 6, 2021

By Jonathan Glick, executive vice president, Sheldon Gross Realty Projecting future trends is always challenging, particularly when you’re attempting to do it during a global pandemic. But to date, several promising signs suggest that New Jersey’s office market is moving in a positive direction —sluggishly and bumpily, perhaps — but in an encouraging direction nonetheless. Newly delivered projects can provide insight on where the Garden State’s office market is headed in terms of geography, design, functionality and usage. We offer several examples of 2020 deals that help illustrate these trends. Sheldon Gross marketed and brokered the sale of a two-story 13,000-square-foot office building in Cranbury that featured an appealing location, just off exit 8A of the New Jersey Turnpike. The structure had been for sale and vacant for two years, but its out-of-state owner was willing to wait until a fair market offer materialized, which it did just prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. But with the pandemic unleashed on the market, all communication and negotiations ceased. By May, the prospective purchaser had withdrawn from the transaction. It wasn’t until September that a new deal was negotiated with a buyer that intended to occupy most of the building, rather than sharing …

January 6, 2021

Industrial Market Reports New Jersey Northeast Northeast Market Reports

New Jersey Industrial Market Displays Remarkable Resiliency Amid Pandemic

by Taylor Williams September 4, 2020

By Mark Russo, director of research, Newmark Knight Frank The industrial markets of Northern and Central New Jersey have held strong thus far in 2020 as heightened e-commerce activity has offset the disruption caused by COVID-19. Total e-commerce sales rose by 31.8 percent in the second quarter relative to that period in 2019, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. While demand for retail and office space has been negatively impacted, steady rent growth and stable vacancy highlight the resilience of the industrial sector. Industrial tenants moving into new deliveries have helped generate 4.2 million square feet of positive net absorption year-to-date. Vacancy currently averages 4.3 percent, down from 4.5 percent a year ago. Meanwhile, the average asking rent grew by 2.1 percent over the past year to a record mark of $9.20 per square foot. Online Shopping Fuels Leasing Social distancing measures and store closures caused by the pandemic have accelerated the adoption of online shopping. This has led to increased demand for logistics and distribution space among e-commerce companies. In fact, e-commerce deals have accounted for 75 percent of industrial leasing activity in Northern and Central New Jersey since April, compared to a quarterly average of …

September 4, 2020

Industrial Market Reports New Jersey Northeast Northeast Market Reports Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey Industrial Market: Everything Investors Need to Know

by Taylor Williams August 28, 2020

By Marc Isdaner, senior managing director, principal, Colliers International; and Ian Richman, senior managing director, Colliers International Strong job and population growth in recent years have caused the Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey industrial market to continually rise on the radars of both investors and developers. As the nation battles COVID-19, we see demand for industrial space growing as more users look to service last-mile customers in densely populated areas. This market is no exception. With the right guidance and counseling, investors can achieve strong returns here, even as variables like user demand and land/construction costs continue to rise, bringing valuations and sales prices along with them. Projects Get Bigger We continue to see developers take down large tracts near major thoroughfares in this region, oftentimes building on speculative bases. Examples of such projects are Mansfield Logistics Park, a 960,000-square-foot, two-building spec development by Clarion Partners off Interstate 295 in Burlington County that is nearing completion; and The Cubes at East Greenwich, a two-building spec development located off I-295 in Gloucester County. The latter project is being developed in an area that was largely inactive until 2018, as land sites and established industrial parks such as Pureland were essential built out. Scout …

August 28, 2020

Company News Market Reports New Jersey Northeast Northeast Market Reports Retail

Jersey Mike’s Sandwich Chain Invests in Delivery, Pick-Up

by Taylor Williams August 18, 2020

By Alex Patton During the business lull caused by the outbreak of COVID-19, fast casual sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s made news by rolling out a $150 million nationwide retrofit project for its stores. The project will include aesthetic and comfortability upgrades for 1,700 franchise stores, as well as expanded functionality for delivery and pick-up services — all paid for by the company. “Paying for the retrofits ourselves is a tactical move on our part,” says Peter Cancro, CEO of Jersey Mike’s. “Whenever you put money in your business, it always comes back. It’s an investment into our people — every dollar we put into the project we’ll get back in loyalty and trust from our franchise owners and our customers.” The Manasquan, New Jersey-based company operates approximately 1,750 stores across 48 states and plans to expand to 2,000 by the end of 2021. Though the company is growing its store count quickly, it is still a relatively small player in the national sandwich game. By comparison, Jersey Mike’s two closest competitors, Subway and Jimmy John’s, operate 24,000 and 2,800 stores in the United States, respectively. Amid state-mandated temporary closures of retail stores and restaurants, Jersey Mike’s was able to continue …

August 18, 2020

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