Market Reports Archives - REBusinessOnline

Three Narratives Shaping Next Chapter of Chicago’s Office Market

Kristin Harlow — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

By Denes Juhasz, NAI Hiffman Two different star performers are emerging in Chicago’s suburban and downtown office markets. Practical Class B properties are gaining traction in the suburbs, while glitzy Class A+ trophy towers continue to outperform downtown. As the office sector adapts to post-pandemic workplace realities, the 278 million-square-foot metro Chicago office market ended 2025 with a 25.5 percent overall vacancy rate and 1.8 million square feet of negative net absorption. The suburban market closed 2025 with positive net absorption totaling 282,285 square feet, while overall vacancy held steady at 26.2 percent, largely consistent with the year-end 2024 level of 26.3 percent. Downtown, tenant space reductions and relocations continued to take a toll, with nearly 2.1 million square feet of negative net absorption recorded in 2025. Vacancy rose to 24.9 percent, up from 23.6 percent at year-end 2024. Well-performing assets and a reduction in inventory are helping stabilize the market, albeit unevenly. Three distinct trends are emerging: an outperformance of well-positioned Class B suburban properties, a continued flight to trophy assets in the central business district (CBD) and the conversion of obsolete buildings to alternative uses across the region. Rise of suburban Class B One of the most notable…

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New Jersey Industrial Market Returns to Normal

Taylor Williams — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:48:00 +0000

By Taylor Williams Nobody likes a vacant building, but symbolically, they do have some usefulness. A handful of empty structures here and there can be illustrative of a market that’s actually balanced and healthy, one in which tenants have some options and flexibility. In addition, vacant buildings can serve as warnings to future developers of what not to do and when not to do it. Attaching this allegorical significance to the New Jersey industrial market might seem odd, given that this sector has been and should continue to be one of the strongest segments in the country, in terms of both the geography and the asset class. The residential density, highly developed infrastructure and proximity to major ports and transit hubs will likely never lose their appeal to industrial investors and developers. But even the strongest markets can overheat from time to time, and it typically takes a couple years for the high to completely wear off such that indicators of market normalcy can become readily visible. That’s what appears to be taking shape throughout the Garden State’s industrial market. And without naming names or picking on specific projects, sources say that there are undoubtedly some buildings in New Jersey…

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Upstate South Carolina Industrial Market Is Reaching an Inflection Point

John Nelson — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:43:00 +0000

The Upstate South Carolina industrial market is at an inflection point — an expected condition in a maturing and evolving market. Similar transitions have occurred in prior cycles and have consistently required lease rates to adjust more rapidly than traditional annual market escalations. These adjustments are driven by a combination of factors, including supply and demand dynamics, construction costs, capital markets and broader economic conditions. Currently, construction costs are the primary constraint impacting new deliveries. The post-COVID development surge resulted in over 30 million square feet of speculative industrial construction, a portion of which has yet to be fully absorbed. Today, we are approaching pre-COVID metrics with roughly 6.4 million square feet of speculative inventory (delivered or under construction) and an overall vacancy rate of approximately 7.3 percent. At this level, certain submarkets are at the point where additional speculative inventory will be required to meet tenant demand. The challenge lies in pricing. Much of the existing vacant space was delivered under a materially different construction cost structure, resulting in lease comps that do not reflect today’s construction and land costs. While incremental rent growth has occurred, it has not fully bridged the gap between legacy pricing and the economics…

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Chicago Market Is Steadfast on the Performance Leaderboard

Kristin Harlow — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

By Shubhra Jha, Standard Real Estate Investments Chicago was not on many investors’ bingo cards. However, consistently popping up in the top five apartment markets nationwide for rent growth and occupancy outperformance is changing that perception. Metro Chicago boasts relative affordability compared with its coastal counterparts, a range of job opportunities at all skill levels and the ongoing need for attainable housing. These factors create a multifamily investment landscape poised to deliver steady, long-term returns driven by resilient and stable demand. Economy, affordability Chicago is a diversified and consistent economic powerhouse, counted as the third largest major metro area in the United States and the largest non-coastal city. Its geographic location in America’s heartland combined with its historic strength in a wide array of sectors ranging from agriculture/food processing and finance/commodities trading to manufacturing, transportation/logistics and education play an important role in the metro’s resilience throughout economic cycles. Notably, there is no singular industry dominating the economy. Looking ahead, sizeable investments in quantum computing, life sciences and fintech will build on Chicago’s historic advantages in finance, trading and education. Despite its diversified and steadily expanding economic base, Chicago remains an affordable city for its residents. Median home prices in the…

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InterFace Panel: Oversupply in Austin Industrial Market Is Real, But Complicated

Taylor Williams — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:48:00 +0000

AUSTIN, TEXAS — By any objective, outside-looking-in metric, the Austin industrial market is currently overbuilt, but brokers who are on the inside looking out say that the narrative is more nuanced than the numbers suggest. According to CBRE’s fourth-quarter 2025 market report, the marketwide vacancy rate was 20.4 percent at the end of last year, which represented a 10.9 percent increase from the third quarter of 2025. Approximately 3.4 million square feet of new space was delivered in the fourth quarter as part of 9.5 million square feet of new construction that came on line year-to-date, per CBRE, while fourth-quarter net absorption was less than 500,000 square feet. Qualitatively, the report concluded that the year-end vacancy rate was “an all-time high,” while 2025 was “one of the busiest years for development in market history.” The Austin industrial market has traditionally differed from those of its sprawling Texas counterparts — Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Houston — which have seen numerous massive projects built and absorbed over the past decade. Industrial deals and projects in the state capital have historically trended smaller, though that has changed somewhat in recent years as two tech giants — Tesla and Samsung — have planted massive…

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Mid-Atlantic Retail Market Is Experiencing Methodical Growth

John Nelson — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:40:00 +0000

Retail real estate across the Mid-Atlantic is having a moment — but it’s a disciplined one. As fundamentals remain healthy in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., the region is seeing a notably more selective approach to retail growth. Years of limited new development, zoning constraints and rising construction costs have tightened supply, pushing owners, investors and municipalities to be far more intentional about what gets built — and where. Sources interviewed for this article point to the sustained demand for well-located shopping centers, such as those anchored by strong tenants, daily-needs retailers and dense surrounding populations.“Retail today is about durability,” states Mike Castellitto, chief operating officer of Broad Reach Retail Partners. “Assets that serve essential, repeat-use visitors continue to outperform and attract both tenants and investors.” Shifting consumer preferences in VirginiaFrom Washington, D.C.’s dense suburban corridors to fast-growing secondary markets, Virginia’s retail real estate landscape remains one of the Mid-Atlantic’s steadiest performers. The Commonwealth’s strongest retail fundamentals are often seen in Northern Virginia and select regional hubs like metro Philadelphia, Virginia Beach and Richmond, where household income growth and population density create robust demand. Jim Ashby, senior vice president of the Retail Services Group at Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer,…

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Indianapolis Industrial Market: From Resilience to Resurgence in 2026

Kristin Harlow — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

By Abigail Sievers, JLL The Indianapolis industrial market is entering 2026 not merely recovering but evolving. What began as a “quiet” shift has matured into a definitive new phase of activity characterized by renewed user confidence, disciplined development and a manufacturing ecosystem that’s gaining national attention. While headlines often focus on coastal or larger Midwest markets, Indianapolis is steadily emerging as a strategic center for large-scale industrial investment, offering the rare trifecta of scalable Class A space, a resilient workforce and the high-capacity infrastructure that modern manufacturers require. Mega deals return After more than two years of cautious expansion, the market is now seeing a resurgence of large industrial commitments. Leases and acquisitions exceeding 500,000 square feet — which had significantly slowed during the previous 24 months — are re-entering the landscape as users move forward with previously paused growth plans amid market uncertainty. The broader leasing environment reflects this momentum. In fourth-quarter 2025 alone, Indianapolis recorded 7.2 million square feet of absorption — the strongest single‑quarter performance since the third quarter of 2021. Year‑to‑date absorption reached 13.1 million square feet, surpassing the previous two years combined. These mega deals confirm what we’re hearing daily from both new and existing…

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New York’s Cannabis Retail Market Has Entered Its Real Estate Phase

Taylor Williams — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:47:00 +0000

By Greg Tannor, executive managing director, and Jessica Gerstein, director, Lee & Associates NYC For much of the past three years, the rollout of legal cannabis in the state of New York has been defined by headlines about licensing delays, regulatory hurdles and political infighting. That phase is largely over. Hundreds of adult-use dispensaries are now open across the state, and the market is entering a far more consequential — and less discussed — stage. Cannabis retail in New York is no longer constrained primarily by licenses. It is constrained by real estate. On the ground, the industry is moving rapidly out of its novelty phase and into a performance-driven phase where locational quality, operational discipline and realistic deal structures are separating winners from losers. This shift has major implications, not only for operators, but also for landlords, lenders and brokers who are navigating the sector for the first time. Compliance, Not Curiosity, Is The New Bottleneck Demand from licensed dispensary operators remains strong, particularly in New York City. But truly viable retail locations that meet state and local requirements while also making economic sense remain scarce. In Manhattan, the challenge is especially acute. Buffer zones restricting proximity to schools, houses of worship…

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Nashville Retail Market: Strength, Scarcity and Shifting Demand

John Nelson — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:55:00 +0000

Nashville’s retail market continues to outperform many peer metros across the Southeast, supported by steady population growth, a diversified employment base and a prolonged period of limited new supply. Despite broader economic uncertainty and rising operating costs, fundamentals across Middle Tennessee remain healthy, with vacancy holding near historically low levels. Tight conditions, leasing That strength is reflected in current occupancy trends. Retail vacancy throughout the region sits at approximately 3.6 percent, signaling sustained tenant demand within a constrained inventory environment. New construction has remained limited as elevated material and labor costs have pushed many proposed developments outside workable underwriting thresholds. As a result, existing centers, particularly well-located neighborhood and suburban assets, continue to capture consistent leasing activity. Core, emerging submarkets Demand remains strongest in Nashville’s core and established growth corridors, including Green Hills, Vanderbilt/West End, 12th South/Wedgewood-Houston, Charlotte Pike/Sylvan Park and the Cool Springs pocket of Franklin. These areas benefit from dense residential growth, strong household incomes and reliable consumer traffic, supporting above-average rent levels. At the same time, tightening availability and rising barriers to entry in the urban core have accelerated growth across surrounding satellite markets. Submarkets such as Lebanon, Clarksville, Murfreesboro and Smyrna have emerged as meaningful retail…

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Indianapolis Lodging Edges Out National Trends

Kristin Harlow — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

By Aghfar Arun, Bradford Allen Indianapolis has a reputation as a convention town, but its hotel story has moved well beyond lanyards and name badges. A growing mix of sports, healthcare, corporate and leisure demand is now filling rooms year‑round — downtown and across the suburbs — turning the market into one of the Midwest’s most reliable hospitality overachievers. Event boom downtown Indianapolis experienced 8.1 million room nights of demand in the 12-month period ending at mid-year 2025, according to CoStar data. This is over 580,000 more than the market’s pre-COVID peak. To meet this demand, the construction pipeline at mid-year included more than 1,500 hotel rooms, with another 3,402 rooms in the final planning stages and 3,220 rooms proposed. According to Visit Indy, new projects slated for delivery in 2026 include a pair of adaptive reuse projects: The Kimpton will transform the historic Odd Fellows Building into a 167-key luxury hotel and the Motto Hotel will bring 116 rooms to the King Cole Building. The most notable project is Signia by Hilton, a 38-story hotel with 800 guest rooms developed alongside a 143,500-square-foot expansion of the Indiana Convention Center. A snapshot of downtown Indianapolis, prepared last year by…

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InterFace Panel: Future-Oriented, Suburban Strategies Needed to Crack Austin Retail Market

Taylor Williams — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:55:00 +0000

By Taylor Williams AUSTIN, TEXAS — A successful real estate strategy for both developers and operators looking to penetrate Austin’s airtight retail market must involve both a long-term growth plan and a site selection process that primarily targets suburban areas. Austin’s sizzling pace of population growth has slowed in the past year or two, but the state capital remains highly undersupplied in terms of housing. Land and other development costs have become frightfully expensive within the urban core, and like other Texas markets, Austin is emerging from a multifamily building boom within its urban core and first-ring suburbs. In addition, vacant, quality retail space within those areas of Austin is a rare commodity. Earlier this year, the Austin-American Statesman, citing data from Weitzman, reported that Austin had a marketwide retail vacancy rate of just 3 percent at the end of 2025. And according to a first-quarter 2025 report from Partners Real Estate, Austin’s retail occupancy rate has not dipped below 95 percent at any point in the past decade. Editor’s note: InterFace Conference Group, a division of France Media Inc., produces networking and educational conferences for commercial real estate executives. To sign up for email announcements about specific events, visit www.interfaceconferencegroup.com/subscribe. As such,…

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Nashville’s Office Market Is Defined by Resiliency, Momentum

John Nelson — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:45:00 +0000

With office leasing and development, we’re always looking forward to the next big thing. Nashville’s office market is no exception to that. Sometimes no news is good news, though. That may be the case with the metro’s office development, where only four projects totaling 279,320 square feet were underway at the close of 2025 — 44.1 percent of which was preleased. At the beginning of 2020, Nashville’s construction pipeline was nearly 10 percent of its inventory size — the second-highest share out of any U.S. metro. Since then, 8.5 million square feet of office product has been delivered, and despite overlapping with a global pandemic, nearly 80 percent of it has been leased — underscoring the market’s appetite for quality office space. While that office space has not been absorbed as quickly as some had hoped, market trends and activity suggest that nearly 90 percent of it will be absorbed by the end of 2026, proving the Nashville office market’s resilience. As we approach the end of the first quarter, Nashville’s office market is off to a good start, despite some uncooperative icy weather. Although local tenants continue to lead occupancy growth, sizable multi-market requirements have continued to increase, pushing…

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How Mixed-Use Is Evolving in North Georgia

John Nelson — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:05:00 +0000

Mixed-use development across the Southeast continues to change and evolve. What was once as straightforward as building residential apartments located above a street-level retail component has become something far more sophisticated and intentional. Today’s mixed-use communities offer integrated, experience-driven environments where all elements of living, working, shopping, dining and recreation are thoughtfully curated, with connectivity as a primary focus. The North Georgia region, located approximately 40 miles north of Atlanta, is where residential demand is rising, incomes are growing and consumer preferences are changing. As these trends converge, developers seek the opportunity to create true neighborhood hubs in the area. The Crossing at Coal Mountain, located in Forsyth County, is a new 140-acre mixed-use destination by Atlantic Residential that reflects how development strategies are evolving in response to these market shifts. The project will feature walkable streets, activated green spaces, local dining, daily lifestyle services and a carefully programmed retail plaza alongside luxury homes being developed in partnership with national homebuilder Toll Brothers. Each of the project’s planned elements is designed to support a true live-work-play environment. Phase I of the project’s retail district is on track to open this year, positioning the development to contribute to the region’s broader…

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Flight to Quality, Slow Road to Reinvention Define Detroit’s Office Outlook

Kristin Harlow — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

By Andy Gutman, Farbman Group The Detroit office market has moved past the initial shock of the post-pandemic years, but the idea that all challenges are over would be premature. Looking ahead in 2026, office in Detroit would be best described as stabilizing but still highly selective, shaped by a continued flight to quality, cautious capital markets and a growing emphasis on service and tenant experience. While vacancy remains elevated compared with pre-pandemic norms, limited new construction and a clear bifurcation between high- and low-quality assets are helping prevent further deterioration. The next phase of the cycle will be defined by how effectively landlords adapt to tenant expectations and how long it takes for capital markets to allow older assets to meaningfully change hands. Detroit office in 2026 By the numbers, Detroit’s office market in 2026 shows stability without significant growth pressure. Vacancy estimates range from approximately 15.7 to 23.3 percent, depending on data source and asset class. Marcus & Millichap, for example, projects a 2026 year-end vacancy of roughly 15.7 percent, which is a modest 10-basis-point increase year-over-year. Broader datasets that include older inventory report vacancy closer to 23 percent. Asking rents have remained largely flat, with Class A…

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By Flipping the Script on Value Engineering, AI ‘Saves’ Arkansas Hotel Project

John Nelson — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000

How did The Fay hotel in Fayetteville, Ark., save $500,000 mid-construction? How are other apartment, office and mixed-use developments doing the same, across the construction cycle? Developers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to flip the script on the challenge of value engineering that often dumbs-down original design plans. Value engineering is almost a constant in the business: A project is designed and priced during the feasibility and entitlement stage but three, four or five years later when construction starts, prices have jumped while the budget is the same. And prices go up for many reasons, such as materials costs, labor costs or regulatory issues — even for import tariffs, as we’ve seen the past year. But maybe we’re blaming the wrong culprit in giving “value engineering” a negative connotation.Now it’s time for the procurement process to take its turn in preserving value and design. Saving despite tariffsProactive procurement led to a half-million-dollar savings for real estate investor/developer Dwellist at its Fayetteville project. Dwellist is transforming a decades-old motel near the University of Arkansas into The Fay, its first Motelier-branded property, a full adaptive-reuse. Recently, materials ordering was running into cost-overruns that risked putting the overall project over budget.…

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Northeast Reader Forecast Survey: 2026 Is Anybody’s Guess

Taylor Williams — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:55:00 +0000

By Taylor Williams The roller coaster ride continues. That’s more or less the joint takeaway from Northeast Real Estate Business’ annual reader forecast surveys for commercial brokers and developers/owners. For if the past 12 months have revealed anything about the economic and geopolitical factors that impact deal volume, investor sentiment and overall industry health, it’s that those dynamics are wildly unpredictable and highly subject to change. In last year’s survey, respondents across both groups expressed optimism — albeit guarded — for better business prospects in 2025. The incoming Trump administration was viewed as pro-business, and the previous year had ended with a trio of long-awaited cuts to short-term interest rates. Capital sources on both the debt and equity sides of the market envisioned a new, more prosperous chapter in 2025 as 2024 closed with subsided inflation, healthy job growth and less volatility in the 10-year Treasury yield. Editor’s note: In mid-November, Northeast Real Estate Business sent email invitations to participate in the annual online survey to three separate groups — brokers; developers, owners and managers; and lenders and financial intermediaries. The survey was held open through mid-December. Invitations to participate were also included in the Northeast Real Estate Business e-newsletter, as…

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Nashville’s Industrial Market: A Resilient Powerhouse in 2026

John Nelson — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:59:00 +0000

As Nashville closes out 2025, the industrial market has solidified its reputation as a resilient powerhouse in the Southeast. With record investment volumes exceeding $2.2 billion and vacancy rates remaining well below national averages, the Nashville MSA continues to attract distributors, manufacturers, and data center-related businesses. This robust performance reflects a recalibration from pandemic-era highs while maintaining durable demand, setting the stage for balanced growth in 2026. Trends shaping the market Several macroeconomic trends are influencing Nashville’s industrial landscape. Nearshoring/onshoring and supply chain diversification have heightened the city’s appeal as a logistical hub. It is important to note that Nashville is strategically located within a day’s drive of over half the U.S. population. Locally, job growth has outpaced the national average, with Oxford Economics reporting a 1.1 percent increase in 2025, bolstered by gains in manufacturing, logistics and retail. Notably, Moody’s Analytics highlights transportation equipment manufacturing as a key driver, as automakers increase domestic production to mitigate tariffs. Further enhancing Nashville’s logistical capabilities, the planned expansion of air freight capacity at Nashville International Airport in 2027 is poised to solidify the region’s role in cargo throughput, supported by a robust highway network and a growing labor force. Despite broader economic…

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Detroit Developments Showcase Urban Adaptive Reuse, Preservation

Kristin Harlow — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000

By Michael Poris, McIntosh Poris Architects Long defined by its industrial legacy, Detroit development currently combines ground-up construction with intelligent, innovative adaptive reuse. Brick-and-mortar manufacturing-era remnants include many buildings that originally served the automotive industry. As large-scale manufacturing relocated and Detroit’s population declined, several significant buildings were abandoned. Many are viable for second lives, ones that fulfill current commercial real estate market demands. Adaptive reuse makes sense I co-founded McIntosh Poris in 1994 to protect Detroit’s historic buildings from bulldozers and redesign them for a post-manufacturing economy. At that time, demolition was the most expedient option. To address this, we focused as much on civic networking and preservation education as architectural design. Implementation involved organizing events with public officials and the local business community to meet leaders of other cities’ successful urban-renewal programs. To make Detroit more attractive to commercial real estate investment, we lobbied for zoning changes. Most relevant, commercial and historic districts were re-evaluated to permit mixed-use redevelopment. Historic preservation became viable, often making sense both financially and culturally. Well before sustainability became a commercial real estate consideration, we educated developers on available adaptive reuse incentives such as historic tax credits. Combined with the inherent efficiencies of reuse,…

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Scarcity Shapes Strategy: How Tight Vacancy Is Redefining Retail in Raleigh

John Nelson — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:32:00 +0000

If there is one defining characteristic of the Raleigh-Durham retail market today, it is scarcity. Exceptionally low vacancy — especially in high-quality, well-located centers — has become the norm rather than the exception, fundamentally reshaping leasing dynamics, rent growth and development strategy across the region. As of third-quarter 2025, overall retail vacancy in Raleigh-Durham stood at approximately 2.4 percent, marking four consecutive years below the 3 percent threshold. Even more telling, spaces under 10,000 square feet posted vacancy closer to 1.8 percent, underscoring just how competitive conditions have become for local and regional tenants. This imbalance between demand and supply has placed landlords in a position of sustained leverage, particularly in grocery-anchored centers, strong neighborhood and lifestyle shopping centers or mixed-use environments. Low vacancy matters because it drives outcomes. Lease-ups are happening faster, concessions are increasingly rare in top trade areas and rents continue to trend upward. For tenants, especially those seeking smaller footprints, waiting to engage often means missing opportunities altogether. For owners, the market rewards proactive asset management and disciplined tenant selection. A clear example of this dynamic is Olde Raleigh Village, a grocery-anchored community shopping center that is currently 100 percent leased. With no vacancy to contend…

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Return of the Spec: Metro Detroit’s Next Industrial Chapter

Kristin Harlow — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000

By Ryan Brittain, Colliers Speculative construction has always carried a certain boldness in industrial real estate. Building without a tenant can either signal visionary thinking or a bold bet on future demand. In metro Detroit, that confidence was on full display during the post-COVID boom. To meet the surge in tenant demand, highly respected industrial developers raced to deliver modern distribution space across the region. At the height, preleasing was not always necessary but often occurred. Developers pushed forward on new Class A warehouses, confident that tenant requirements would catch up and, for a time, they did. Yet here we are in 2026, and speculative development is not an idea of the past. It is returning, this time with more discipline. This is not another Resurgit cineribus Detroit comeback story, but rather a thoughtful recalibration. The “Return of the Spec” reflects a market that has matured and learned, not one that has overheated. To understand it today, it helps to revisit how we arrived. As a wave of newly completed speculative projects delivered (at one point, the market saw 12 million square feet under construction), availability expanded. Shortly thereafter, the automotive industry hit an uncertain patch in late 2023. Vacancy…

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