Market Reports

Another Bright Year Anticipated for Columbus Industrial Market

by Kristin Harlow April 14, 2022

With low vacancy, positive absorption and robust leasing and investment activity, the Columbus industrial sector is positioned to experience a substantial amount of demand to continue throughout 2022 after a record-breaking year in 2021. Last year set the tone for historic construction and absorption and the market is poised to continue its strong momentum. It is easy to look at the map and see why Columbus is such a great logistics hub given its prime location within a 10-hour drive within 47 percent of the U.S. population, fairly flat topography and direct access to major freeways. There is one big piece of the pie that doesn’t always get noticed, which is the economic development powers that are putting Columbus on the map. Jobs Ohio and OneColumbus have done an incredible job attracting businesses to the state of Ohio. The biggest investment in the history of Ohio was announced this January when Intel revealed plans on building a new chip factory in New Albany. This $20 billion investment really put all eyes on the Northeast part of Columbus. As it gets tougher to get entitlements and zoning in other industrial submarkets, New Albany seems to be carrying a significant amount …

April 14, 2022

Industrial Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports NAI Office Ohio

The Secret Is Out About Investment in Columbus, Ohio

by Kristin Harlow April 7, 2022

There was a time when an investment in the Columbus, Ohio commercial real estate market had to be justified to outsiders and required a higher return to attract investors. After all, it sits squarely in “fly-over country” in the heart of the rust belt. With the exception of getting a superior return, why would an investor choose Columbus, over say, New York or Chicago? But that’s all changed. Cap rates are now as low as, or lower than, other major markets. Investors have been driven to those markets, despite having a lower cap rate, because they knew rent growth was continuous and the sales price would appreciate over time. For decades, Columbus’ sales prices had remained stagnant due to a lack of increase in lease rates. However, over the past two years, lease rates have been rapidly increasing in the industrial market, and projections expect that trend to continue. The Columbus office market hasn’t seen the same rental appreciation — yet. But projections indicate that there will be rental appreciation in office as well, mostly due to increased demand and lack of speculative development over the past two years, but also due to rising land and construction costs. Because of …

April 7, 2022

Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Office Ohio

APTC: Don’t Just Accept Your Tax Assessment

by Kristin Harlow February 22, 2022

By Cecilia Hyun, Siegel Jennings Co. Since early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended lives and disrupted the normal course of businesses, including those in the commercial real estate market. As in many other sectors, however, this public health crisis has not affected all commercial properties equally. Real estate occupied by essential businesses such as grocery stores, sellers of household goods and warehouse clubs, for example, have weathered the pandemic well. A few have even increased their market share. By contrast, many office buildings, hospitality and non-essential retail properties have suffered severely. Taxing jurisdictions and assessors have responded to the crisis with varying degrees of success. The Ohio Legislature passed special legislation (spearheaded by Siegel Jennings Managing Partner Kieran Jennings) to allow a onetime, 2020 tax year valuation complaint for a valuation date of Oct. 1, 2020, since the usual tax lien date of Jan. 1 would not have shown the effects of COVID. Other assessors applied limited reduction factors to account for the sudden pandemic-induced decrease in property values. As values recover, it is important for taxpayers to monitor still unfolding consequences as they review their property tax assessments. Initially, hotels and experiential property uses suffered the steepest losses …

February 22, 2022

Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Ohio

APTC: Ohio School Districts Push for Excessive Property Taxes

by Kristin Harlow December 23, 2021

A recent order from the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals highlights a troubling aspect of real property tax valuation in the Buckeye State, where school districts wield extraordinary authority to influence assessments. In this instance, courts allowed a district to demand a taxpayer’s confidential business data, which it can now use to support its own case for an assessment increase. Ohio is one of the few states that permit school districts to participate in the tax valuation process, allowing a district to file its own complaint to increase the value of a parcel of real estate, and permitting a school district to argue against a property owner that seeks to lower the taxable valuation of a parcel of real estate. Generally, school districts looking to increase tax revenue will review recent property sales for opportunities to seek assessment increases. Likely candidates for an increase complaint include real estate that changed hands at a purchase price or transfer value that exceeds the county assessor’s valuation. That is not always the case, however. In the case that gave rise to this article, there was no recent sale of the subject property, which is a multi-story apartment building. The apartment building owner had …

December 23, 2021

Industrial Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Ohio

Columbus Industrial Market Is Going Strong for Eighth Straight Quarter

by Kristin Harlow November 11, 2021

Columbus has been the shining star of the industrial real estate market over the last five years, and for the eighth straight quarter, it has more than 5 million square feet under construction. This year is on track for more than 10 million square feet, with half of that already absorbed in the first part of the year. A question I always get is, “Why Columbus?” The answer (and the sell) is quite simple — location and population. Columbus is a 10-hour drive within 46 percent of the country’s population and manufacturing base. Incentives play a large role in the process as well, which enables developers to be competitive and drives tenants to the markets. Labor is always a factor in site selection, but now more than ever it tops the list as one of the most vital components of the decision-making process of choosing a site. With the Columbus region ranking No. 1 in the Midwest for population, jobs and GDP growth, it’s natural for developers to be highly attracted to the area. Columbus has three major industrial submarkets: West Jefferson, Rickenbacker and Etna Township. The West Jefferson submarket is home to Amazon, Target, Restoration Hardware and JoAnn Fabric. …

November 11, 2021

Industrial Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Office Ohio Retail

Commercial Real Estate Fundamentals Stay Steady in Akron, Ohio

by Kristin Harlow September 16, 2021

By Jerry Fiume, SVN Summit Commercial Real Estate Advisors You’ve heard it before. In Akron, everything is earned, and nothing is given. No quote better represents the fabric of the City of Akron, Summit County and Northeast Ohio. Aside from an unstoppable work ethic, the other key characteristic of our marketplace is one of steady consistency. Our pricing is steady, our cap rates are steady and our opportunities are steady. With that said, there is a renaissance underway in our area. Akron is experiencing residential growth driven by a 15-year, 100 percent residential tax abatement program for all new residential and multifamily construction. This also applies to recent rehabilitation work, helping Akron stand out as a competitive and attractive place to invest in real estate. Plus, increased residential investment will continue to attract more commercial investment. Akron has made a significant investment in its downtown neighborhood, spurring significant residential, retail and office growth. The city invested $30 million to facelift Main Street, including several significant mixed-use projects like The Bowery and the 159, creating a better-looking, more walkable downtown that is becoming a premier place to live. Hundreds of new apartments have been constructed in former office buildings, and hundreds …

September 16, 2021

Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Ohio Retail

Demand Rises for Convenient, Quality and Affordable Retail in Cleveland

by Kristin Harlow September 2, 2021

By Catherine Lueckel and Allison Giomuso, Matthews Real Estate Investment Services In nearly every major metro in the Midwest, the most active retailers expanding, leasing or developing involve grocers, discounters and drive-thru tenants. Most of the activity in the Midwest is reflective of the broader trend in shifting consumer demands, away from wants and more toward needs and services. Discount retailers It’s no surprise that discount retailers rose in popularity among shoppers during economic uncertainty, as they offer products for a fraction of the price. This trend is very apparent in the Midwest, with consumers focusing on value through the wake of the economic recovery. While discount retailers offer the best value in their products, they equally search for the best value in their real estate. Their expansion goals align closely with their financial goals; therefore, they target the Midwest, where deals are not overvalued and produce a higher rate of return. The Midwest boasts cheaper real estate compared with other regions, and more robust growth due to the affordable cost of living and lower costs of doing business. Discount-oriented retailers dominated Ohio’s leasing activity, specifically in Cleveland, where they accounted for the most move-ins and top leases in 2020. …

September 2, 2021

Industrial Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Ohio

Cincinnati Industrial Market Is Positioned for Even More Growth

by Kristin Harlow August 12, 2021

By Jeff Bender, Cushman & Wakefield Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky have the same logistical advantages they’ve always had, with their location within a day’s drive of two-thirds of the U.S. population, allowing reach and penetration to major metro areas. With those advantages, the region has enjoyed a robust industrial market, similar to most key markets in the country. Lessons learned from the pandemic, the pending opening of a nearly 1 million-square-foot e-commerce national air hub and growth of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG) will truly differentiate the market from an occupier’s perspective. What’s more, that increased demand and Cincinnati’s topographical constraints, creating new supply limitations, will continue to make it a darling of institutional investors. Quick delivery model Amazon’s presence and $1.5 billion investment near the airport and Cincinnati’s central location place it in a prime spot for fulfillment, a big demand driver over the next decade. For example, let’s say you need to buy or repair a laptop, smart phone, tablet or any other electronic device. The order for a new computer could be fulfilled the next day most anywhere in the world even if the order is placed late in the evening. With a repair, you box it …

August 12, 2021

Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Multifamily Ohio Single-Family Rental

Strong Investor Demand for Cincinnati Apartments Drives Up Pricing

by Kristin Harlow August 5, 2021

By Noah Juran, NorthMarq Cincinnati remains a highly sought-after market for multifamily investors as the U.S. emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cincinnati area’s apartment market fundamentals, including rent growth, rent collections and occupancy levels, are holding up well. Significant amounts of capital — including local, out-of-state and international — are aggressively seeking to be deployed into multifamily assets, which continues to drive up pricing. Multifamily has outperformed many other commercial real estate sectors during COVID, as many investors consider it a safe-haven investment. However, a lack of inventory for sale is slowing transaction activity. COVID-19 impact While delinquencies increased in 2020 due to pandemic-related layoffs and furloughs, many apartment owners in Cincinnati recorded strong rent performance, especially those properties that are well-managed and efficiently screen tenants. There was an eviction moratorium in Ohio, but it had a minimal impact. Workforce housing properties with lower-income tenants experienced the most negative effects during the pandemic. Many operators in Cincinnati and throughout the Midwest recorded collections at or above 90 percent, which is typical. Owners may have had a couple of tenants who requested rent relief or deferred payments, but after the dust settled, most borrowers, owners and operators did not experience …

August 5, 2021

Industrial Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Office Ohio Retail

Toledo, Ohio Market Shows Stability in Various Areas

by Kristin Harlow June 17, 2021

By Harlan Reichle, Reichle Klein Group As the Toledo, Ohio, area’s retail market proved to be stable and solid in the second half of 2020 and the industrial market continued a remarkable stretch of high performance since the Great Recession, 2020 was a tough year for the office market. However, all three property types have yet to register any negative COVID impact in our latest survey results. Retail Toledo’s retail market proved to be quite stable and solid during the second half of 2020. Given the fraught last year along with the headlines and travails of retail stores, gyms and restaurants, the general public might find this result surprising, but it was clear to our retail leasing brokers since mid-summer 2020 that transaction activity was snapping back fairly quickly after the initial shock of the spring 2020 lockdowns. Our year-end 2020 market survey found overall market vacancy down from both the end of 2019 and mid-year 2020. The decline in anchor vacancy more than offset a small increase among inline spaces as the market absorbed 39,183 square feet of space in the last six months of the year. It is a nearly exact repeat of the market’s performance in the …

June 17, 2021

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