Market Reports

Developers Adapt to Tight Office Market in Northeast

by Taylor Williams December 4, 2019

Office vacancies are falling across the big metros of the Northeast as robust user demand outpaces the supply of new construction. Deliveries in the last year have primarily been limited to Class A, build-to-suit properties and mixed-use developments. Meanwhile, office tenants are seeking high-end amenities at favorable prices. Nationally, the office vacancy rate stood at 16.8 percent in the second quarter, up slightly from 16.6 percent a year ago, according to real estate research firm Reis. Net absorption for the quarter totaled 3.2 million square feet, down from 3.9 million square feet a year ago. The average asking rent was $33.79 per square foot, up 2.2 percent on a year-over-year basis. Approximately 11.1 million square feet of office space was under construction at the end of the second quarter across Philadelphia, New York and Boston, according to CoStar Group. Helped by approximately 8.3 million square feet of absorption in the second quarter, the average vacancy rate across all three markets was 8.1 percent. Rather than undertake costly new ground-up construction projects, many developers are choosing to redevelop existing assets and efficiently incorporate office space into mixed-use projects. Coworking tenants occupied 54.2 million square feet of office space nationally at the …

December 4, 2019

Industrial Market Reports New Jersey New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports

Industrial Development Shifts Westward From Port

by Taylor Williams October 2, 2019

Demand for industrial space is roaring throughout the submarkets surrounding the Port of New York and New Jersey, propelled by the port’s handling of a record amount of cargo thus far in 2019. As a result of the healthy demand, as well as more product coming in and out of the port, landlords are enjoying positive rent growth accentuated by a limited supply of quality industrial space. The port experienced record growth in cargo volume handled during the first six months of 2019, according to internal data from the organization. The number of 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) handled by the port has already exceeded 3 million for the year and surpassed 611,000 in June alone. This figure represents an all-time record for the port during the first half of the year, enabling it to surpass the Port of Long Beach for the first time in 20 years. Increasing amounts of inventory coming in and out of the port translates to greater demand for industrial space to store, process and ship product. But the port submarket has but a meager supply of real estate to meet the demand. Due to a limited space available for lease, the industrial submarket experienced negative …

October 2, 2019

Market Reports New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports Retail

Retail Rent Picture Varies Greatly Across New York City Submarkets

by Taylor Williams August 21, 2019

Retail leasing activity across New York City accelerated during the second quarter of 2019, but the market continues to see vast discrepancies in supply-demand balances across various submarkets. In certain parts of Manhattan, year-over-year asking rents declined by double-digit percentages, according to the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) Spring 2019 Report. Midtown East, for example, saw its average asking rent drop by 22 percent from $3,900 per square foot to $3,050 per square foot during this time period. The corridor between 42nd and 49th streets experienced similar activity, sliding 20 percent from an average asking rent of $1,000 per square foot to $800 per square foot. Historically high vacancy and low absorption rates are behind the negative rent growth. Due to the high cost of doing business in New York, landlords have also struggled to backfill spaces vacated by tenants that were victims of the e-commerce world. As a result, property owners are being forced to bring down their tenant improvement allowances and integrate more flexibility into their leases, primarily in the form of shorter lease terms to stimulate cash flows. Midtown East had approximately 100 vacant retail spaces totaling more than 500,000 square feet at the end …

August 21, 2019

Market Reports Multifamily New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports

NYC Multifamily Investors Pivot to Find New Opportunities After Rent Reform Laws

by Taylor Williams August 14, 2019

On June 14th, the New York State legislature passed a series of stringent rent regulation reforms. The laws damaged property owners’ means of making money by strengthening tenant protections, capping rent increases and keeping units permanently stabilized. A quick Google search will explain the specifics regarding IAIs, J51s, eviction, buyouts, vacancy bonus and decontrol. In short, landlords will face rising taxes, higher water and sewer bills and elevated construction costs with no mechanism to raise rents to outpace or even match these expenses. Gloom was in the air until an auspicious turn of events occurred on June 21st, just one week after the new rent laws passed. A Pennsylvania woman won a momentous victory in the U.S. Supreme Court that opened the doors for property owners to go directly to federal court without going to state court first. The timing was nothing short of incredible. Essentially, the decision paves the way for New York City landlords to get a fast-track hearing by the Supreme Court, which may view the these new rent laws as going too far and violating owners’ constitutional rights. In weeks to follow, property owners spoke with each other and with major law firms to get a …

August 14, 2019

Market Reports New York Northeast Market Reports Office

Manhattan’s Office Market Thrives as Top-Tier Tenants Flock to Midtown

by Taylor Williams August 7, 2019

Driven by activity in the office sector, commercial real estate in Manhattan is having one of its best years on record. The overwhelming demand for Manhattan office space has led to a surge in office-using employment and an accelerated pace of construction. In addition, the success and appeal of the new Hudson Yards project has breathed new life into the borough’s office market, with developers unable to keep up with the demand. The continued expansion in the technology and coworking sectors is reshaping the market. Companies are willing to pay a premium to snag office space that attracts top-tier, tech-savvy talent. This trend has caused office asking rents to rise to record levels. By The Numbers CBRE data shows that average asking rents for Midtown Manhattan office space reached $88 per square foot in the second quarter of 2019, 9.1 percent higher than the previous year. Class A office space commands even more, surpassing the $100 per square foot mark in desirable submarkets like Hudson Yards, Times Square or the Plaza District. The Midtown vacancy rate decreased 10 basis points to 12.2 percent, the lowest in 18 years, according to CBRE, while the past quarter saw 14.7 million square feet …

August 7, 2019

Market Reports Multifamily New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports

New York City Multifamily Market to Experience Reduced Supply in 2020

by Kristin Harlow May 29, 2019

As the second-largest city economy in the world, New York City continually retains its reputation as one of the most desirable locations for long-term real estate capital appreciation, both nationally and globally. In turn, increasing rent growth and decreasing vacancies have characterized the New York City multifamily market as the influx of supply in 2018 quickly gets absorbed. In the next 24 months, the city will see a dramatic reduction in the new supply of rentals, with current projections for 2019 to 2020 estimating 12,000 units to come on line. This figure represents a substantial decrease from the 20,680 units that were delivered in 2018. Of those 20,680 units, Queens and Brooklyn accounted for more than 50 percent of the new supply. Despite these deliveries, effective rent grew in 2018 by 2.9 percent in Manhattan, 2.2 percent in Brooklyn and 3 percent in Queens. Total multifamily sales volume in Manhattan for 2018 was $6.8 billion, an 83 percent increase from 2017’s total transaction volume of $3.7 billion. With 181 total transactions, properties that traded for more than $50 million made up 65 percent of the volume in 2018 across 22 trades. Similarly, sales in Brooklyn hit a record volume of …

May 29, 2019

Market Reports New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports Retail

Long Island Serves as Launchpad for New Retail Concepts

by Kristin Harlow May 15, 2019

Long Island represents one of the most sought-after suburban retail markets in the Northeast. It’s almost guaranteed that when a retailer opens on Long Island — especially concepts centered on fast-casual dining, boutique fitness experiences and specialized beauty services — it becomes a top performer in the chain’s overall portfolio. Service-oriented retailers are quickly replacing concepts cannibalized by online shopping and are proving to be wildly successful in this important market. With an average household income that trends higher than the national average, a dense population — 2.8 million people live in Nassau and Suffolk counties — and a highly educated consumer base, high-profile national chains recognize the value of having a presence on Long Island. The daytime population swells in areas around shopping centers, hospitals and medical districts, as well as office corridors, while new multifamily and mixed-use developments promise to bring increased foot traffic to retailers seeking a presence on Long Island. Additionally, suburban downtown areas are making resurgences thanks to relaxed zoning restrictions. As the areas around real estate hotbeds like the Route 110 office corridor in Farmingdale, New York, and the Roosevelt Field trade area continue to evolve, new retail centers and mixed-use campuses are emerging. …

May 15, 2019

Market Reports New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office

New York City, There’s a Smarter Way to Do Glass Buildings

by Taylor Williams May 8, 2019

New York City recently passed the Climate Mobilization Act, the first real action by any city to require buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions to meet global climate targets. The new law requires owners of large buildings to meet carbon footprint standards or face millions of dollars in annual fines. The emission limits will begin in 2024 and become increasingly stringent from there. The legislation primarily applies to commercial office and market-rate multifamily buildings over 25,000 square feet. According to Urban Green, these buildings account for about 60 percent of the total building area in New York City — those that make up the Manhattan skyline. While skyscrapers will be forced to act first, significant levels of investment will also be needed for public buildings, affordable housing and non-profits. The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) estimates the total cost of the upgrades needed to comply with the new law is about $4 billion. Building owners can calculate the performance targets they’ll need to meet and the associated fines if they fail to meet them. While it may be possible to buy renewable energy credits to offset emissions, it is unclear how many will be available. Some buildings will need to …

May 8, 2019

Market Reports New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office

New Development, Emerging Submarkets Shift Manhattan’s Office Landscape

by David Cohen October 17, 2018

Bolstered by New York City’s growing and diversified economy, Manhattan’s office market continued to hum along during the second quarter, if at a slower pace than earlier in 2018. Technology, advertising, media and information (TAMI) companies are looking at in-demand submarkets such as Chelsea and Midtown South, where the bulk of new development is underway. Some financial firms are contemplating a move to the Hudson Yards neighborhood, where more than 9 million square feet of space is scheduled for completion in the next several quarters.The wave of efficiently operated properties is a magnet for the demands of forward-looking tenants and the city’s growing millennial workforce. Vacancy rates were below 11 percent across all submarkets in the second quarter, and new product scheduled to come on line during the next several quarters will help accommodate demand from creative industries and other sectors of the local economy. The supply-constrained United Nations-Turtle Bay submarket posted the borough’s lowest vacancy rate, 4.4 percent, while the famed Plaza District posted a 10.2 vacancy rate—a sign of Manhattan’s changing office landscape. Asking rents gained 40 basis points year-over-year overall to $64.86-per-square-foot. On the development front, the highlight of the second quarter was the debut of 3 …

October 17, 2018

Market Reports New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports Retail

New York City Retail Opportunity Never Better, Nor as Challenging

by David Cohen September 12, 2018

2018 is a compelling time to be in retail real estate, especially in New York. Sure, rents are probably still too high, but the vacancy rate keeps pressure on landlords and developers. There is no doubt Amazon will continue to disrupt and dominate, but reports of retail’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. The lower rents and vacancies are creating opportunity for retailers who can adapt to the factors driving consumers’ shopping habits. Perhaps more importantly, many of the city’s most desirable retail corridors such as Fifth Avenue and SoHo were historically difficult to come by, regardless of a tenant’s ability to pay. Now, opportunity beckons. The latest census data indicates New York City is growing and that the trend will continue as people seek urban environments to live, work and play. Futurists predict urban population growth to continue throughout the century. But it isn’t just residents and workers flocking to the Big Apple. More than 60 million tourists visited the city in 2017 and even more are projected to visit in 2018. Recent technological advancements have changed many aspects of human behavior, from the way we interact with one another to how we get around and how we purchase products. …

September 12, 2018

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