Midwest Market Reports

Investment Activity in Cincinnati Commercial Real Estate Market Spikes

by Danielle Everson April 9, 2015

Throughout the economic recovery, real estate has been investors’ preferred asset class in the Cincinnati region and across the United States. Although the Federal Reserve is likely to raise short-term interest rates in June or September, demand for commercial real estate is expected to remain strong as long as the recovering economy continues to create new demand for commercial space. According to Real Capital Analytics, 2014 finally saw total U.S. sales volume and property prices (at the aggregate level) reach pre-recession levels. In fact, Real Capital Analytics reports that excluding portfolio sales, activity was higher in 2014 than in 2007. Investment Sales Surge Metro Cincinnati’s property and portfolio sales in 2014 totaled more than $2.3 billion across all major real estate sectors, a 53 percent increase over 2013. It was, by far, the strongest year for investment activity in recent memory, with significant increases across all property types. For the second straight year, retail sales transactions led the way locally among all property types. Retail sales volume in 2014 exceeded $600 million, $370 million of which occurred in the fourth quarter. Office property and portfolio sales in Cincinnati totaled nearly $580 million in 2014. This figure was a 162 percent …

April 9, 2015

Indiana Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Retail

Millennials Drive Shift to Experiential Shopping in Indianapolis Retail Market

by Danielle Everson March 18, 2015

The retail market as a whole is shifting to make shopping more experiential amid a recovering economy and the influence of millennials and their shopping demands and interests. Despite the buzz about the popularity of online shopping, less than 10 percent of all retail sales take place via the Internet. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), online retail sales in 2013 were nearly $263 billion, accounting for a mere 6 percent of total retail sales. In-store sales accounted for the remaining $4.3 trillion, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. It’s clear that while some consumers find online shopping convenient, the majority still prefer the shopping center experience. In particular, millennials, who are 74 million strong with a buying power of $174 billion, demand that experience. Last fall, Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group forecast that 89 percent of millennials would shop at a mall over the holidays. Surprisingly, millennials use technology to conduct research about products, but they generally prefer to visit stores to make purchases. Millennials will read product reviews online but they want to touch the merchandise, feel it, experience it and then tweet about it to friends. So, while the entire shopping process revolves around technology, …

March 18, 2015

Industrial Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Ohio

Demand for High-Quality Industrial Space in Toledo Greatly Exceeds Supply

by Danielle Everson March 12, 2015

Industrial real estate market fundamentals in the Toledo, Ohio, area remained quite sound at the end of 2014. Most key indices showed stability or improvement. The most noteworthy statistic is the 2.3 million square feet of positive net absorption recorded in the second half of the year — the highest amount in recent memory. The lion’s share of the absorbed space can be attributed to the delivery of the 1.6 million-square-foot Home Depot warehouse in Troy Township. Even if the Home Depot deal is excluded from the data, the total absorption notched in the third and fourth quarters was impressive. Absorption would have been higher had the nearly 400,000-square-foot former Ace Hardware distribution center in Perrysburg Township not become vacant. In 2014, Ace announced that it would relocate its warehouse in the Columbus, Ohio area. Dearth of Suitable Space Despite the generally strong performance of the industrial real estate sector this past year, one senses that many of the players in the market are feeling some level of frustration. The frustration stems from the sentiment that things could be better — a result of the generally tight supply of buildings and the even tighter supply of the right types of …

March 12, 2015

Illinois Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Retail

Several Factors Keeping Retail Construction in Check Across Metro Chicago

by Danielle Everson March 5, 2015

Mid-America Real Estate’s annual Chicagoland Shopping Center Report shows construction completions totaled 2.4 million square feet in 2014, a slight uptick from the 2.26 million square feet completed in 2013. Looking ahead, 2015 should yield a little over 2 million square feet, which will likely prove to be within the normal range for development going forward. However, this is significantly less than the 8.3 million square feet completed in 2007. One of the primary causes of this decline is the demand for new shopping center space in the suburbs is primarily limited to single users, predominately grocery stores. While the demand for multi-tenant retail developments in urban markets remains high, the barriers to entry are significant. Consider, for example, that of the combined 26 new projects delivered in 2014 and planned for 2015, only one project, Regency Centers’ Shops on Main in Schererville, Indiana, is a suburban project built to accommodate more than one big-box retailer. Anchored by Gordmans, Shops on Main is also home to DSW, Home Goods, Ross, Pier 1 Imports and a planned Whole Foods. All of the remaining suburban projects are limited to single users such as Walmart/Sam’s Club, Target, Mariano’s or Meijer. The mid-sized boxes …

March 5, 2015

Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Missouri Office

A New Round of Office Development Appears Imminent in Metro St. Louis

by Danielle Everson February 26, 2015

The big story in the St. Louis office market is that available Class A space continues to become more scarce. As we watch the larger blocks of space being absorbed, and as Class A asking rates continue to increase, the probability for new development seems inevitable, leaving some property owners wondering if they should move forward and build. Although little new office construction is underway, the tightening market has undoubtedly prompted conversations. Expect projects to surface once developers land their first major tenant. The most likely submarkets for new development are in Clayton and West County, where many tenants requiring more than 25,000 contiguous square feet of office space are looking. You cannot have a full recovery for office occupancy until employment increases and the abundance of empty desks is absorbed. The local unemployment rate reached its peak of 10.9 percent in February 2010. The good news is that the unemployment rate hit a six-year low of 5.4 percent in October 2014. This significant drop can be attributed to the gain of over 11,000 jobs since January 2014 in the professional and business services sector. The St. Louis office market ended the year at a 10.5 vacancy rate, with Class …

February 26, 2015

Industrial Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Missouri

Speculative Industrial Construction is Making a Comeback in St. Louis Market

by Danielle Everson February 12, 2015

After a recession-induced lull, speculative construction is back in full swing in the St. Louis industrial sector. Record-setting absorption in 2014 drove vacancy rates to near record lows, and spurred speculative construction on both the Missouri and Illinois side of the Mississippi River. With activity on both fronts, it’s clear that the St. Louis industrial market is well past recovery mode and into growth mode. The St. Louis industrial market posted net absorption of 5.2 million square feet in 2014, passing the all-time record for annual absorption set back in 2005 by more than 20 percent. This is more than double the square feet absorbed in 2013, which itself was a banner year. The positive absorption figure has significantly affected the market’s overall industrial vacancy rate, dropping it to 6.3 percent — the lowest rate since 2005. The Class A vacancy dropped to an impressive 4.1 percent and modern bulk vacancy rate stands at 4.6 percent. Just as in 2006-2007 when nearly 5 million square feet of new construction was delivered, St. Louis is seeing a surge of new construction with these historic vacancy rates. The lack of available industrial space has drastically changed the landscape for tenants during the …

February 12, 2015

Illinois Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Office Retail

Chicago’s Suburban Commercial Real Estate Sector Proves Its Mettle Once Again

by Danielle Everson February 4, 2015

Here’s the Chicago commercial real estate market’s big secret: the suburbs never went away. While it’s true that office vacancy rates hit the high 20s in 2008, the truth is that suburban absorption never faltered. In early 2014, Savills Studley reviewed all office leasing transactions from 2010 to 2013, a recessionary period for the sector. The analysis revealed that of the nearly 7.4 million square feet of deals tracked, nearly three-quarters of the moves (5 million square feet) involved tenants moving from one suburb to another. Compare that trend to the relocations from the suburbs to the city, which totaled approximately 1.8 million square feet during the same period. The exodus of companies like Hillshire Brands and Motorola Mobility from the suburbs made it seem like the city was the only place to be for high-growth firms. The analysis also showed that firms moving from out of town to the area went to the suburbs rather than the city by a factor of more than 2 to 1: 385,000 square feet versus 160,000 square feet. So, it’s no surprise that the suburban Chicago office market ended 2014 with the lowest vacancy rate since 2008. The 22.6 percent vacancy rate in …

February 4, 2015

Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Nebraska Office

Expanding Omaha Businesses Fuel Construction of Class A Office Space

by Danielle Everson January 21, 2015

Omaha’s office market finds itself in a favorable position at the start of 2015. Local economic indicators are solid, absorption has been positive year over year, and vacancies across the board are declining. One big reason is that Omaha businesses are growing. The low vacancy rate of Class A space is driving an appropriate amount of new construction, and Omaha’s abundant supply of quality Class B office space is expected to accommodate demand. Class A Advantage As businesses compete for the best and brightest employees, office space becomes an important hiring tool, causing businesses to look for inviting buildings and spaces in locations with enhanced amenities. This trend has increased activity in Omaha’s Class A office market, driving down the vacancy rate and spurring new construction. Omaha’s Class A vacancy rate stood at 5 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2014. The average asking rent was $24.95 per square foot on a gross basis, up 4 percent since the start of 2014. The uptick in Class A rents is likely to continue Corporate headquarters and speculative buildings are spurring the Class A construction boom. Local businesses such as Millard Refrigerated Services, Tenaska, Gavilon, TD Ameritrade, NorthStar Financial …

January 21, 2015

Industrial Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Missouri Uncategorized

E-Commerce, Auto Industries Drive Speculative Development in Kansas City

by Danielle Everson January 7, 2015

The Kansas City industrial market continues to be an incredibly strong performer. At the end of the third quarter of 2014, the industrial vacancy rate stood at a tight 6.1 percent. Absorption totaled more than 2.5 million square feet during the first nine months of the year, while new deliveries were slightly over 2.6 million square feet in the same period. Let’s examine some contributing factors that are encouraging new deliveries while still driving vacancy rates down and absorption up. Spec Is King The biggest story in the Kansas City industrial real estate market during the first three quarters of 2014 was the delivery of over 2.5 million square feet of Class A distribution facilities on a speculative basis. It can be argued that, in the past, many prospective tenants considered locating a distribution center in Kansas City, but they ultimately selected a different market based on a lack of available inventory and the inability of some companies to wait on the extended timetable for a build-to-suit project. Developers that took notice of this trend and reacted by delivering space to the local market are currently being rewarded for their actions. Much of the speculative development in 2014 centered around …

January 7, 2015

Industrial Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Minnesota

Increasing User Demand Spurs New Round of Industrial Development in Twin Cities

by Danielle Everson December 17, 2014

Buoyed by a healthy economy, the Twin Cities industrial market has experienced strong demand for functional, 24- to 32-foot clear height space, with more companies expanding during the first three quarters of the year, according to Cushman & Wakefield | NorthMarq. The market posted nearly 1.3 million square feet of absorption in the first three quarters of 2014, a solid number. The overall vacancy rate for multi-tenant properties 20,000 square feet and above stood at 10.1 percent at the end of the third quarter, down from a high of 16.4 percent in 2010. The bulk/warehouse segment has posted the most leasing activity with 451,097 square feet of net absorption year-to-date, including 140,514 square feet in the third quarter, and a tight 9.2 percent vacancy rate. Office/warehouse absorption totaled 476,032 square feet year-to-date through the third quarter, and 391,676 square feet in the third quarter alone, lowering the vacancy rate in that segment to 9.6 percent. Office/showroom absorption totaled 359,687 square feet during the first three quarters of 2014, lowering the vacancy rate in that segment to 12.8 percent, the lowest since 2006 when it stood at 11.7 percent. The Northeast submarket posted 222,267 square feet of net absorption in the …

December 17, 2014

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