Three Key Trends to Monitor in Philadelphia’s Multifamily Market

By Christine Beechan, area vice president, Morgan Properties If there’s one certainty about the unusual year that is 2020, it’s that COVID-19 has significantly impacted every industry across the globe. For apartment owners and operators, we’ve entered uncharted territory in terms of changing renter demands, unconventional leasing methods and new operational procedures. Consequently, it’s especially important right now for apartment professionals to understand the complexities of the …

September 11, 2020Market Reports, Multifamily, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, Pennsylvania

New Jersey Industrial Market Displays Remarkable Resiliency Amid Pandemic

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 …

September 4, 2020Industrial, Market Reports, New Jersey, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports

Philadelphia Office Market Enters ‘Wait-and-See’ Mode

By Tom Weitzel, managing director, JLL The Philadelphia office market at the moment is running in place, which is to say that there is certainly energy being expended, but it is going nowhere fast. Tenants and landlords alike are partnering with real estate experts to navigate this challenging time. However, while office users evaluate businesses and study workforces, the benefit of making a decision has not yet outweighed the downside of making a wrong decision, so most users are adopting a …

September 1, 2020Market Reports, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, Office, Pennsylvania

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

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 …

August 28, 2020Industrial, Market Reports, New Jersey, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, Pennsylvania

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

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 …

August 18, 2020Company News, Market Reports, New Jersey, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, Retail

Northeast Lenders Eye Fourth-Quarter Recovery

By Taylor Williams Decreased acquisition activity across virtually all asset classes is among the most visible impacts that COVID-19 has had on commercial real estate, but capital markets professionals say there’s reason to believe deal volume will rebound sharply toward the end of the year. For most property owners, the net result of the economic disruption and job losses has been a decrease in cash flows. With net incomes faltering or dissolving for property owners, many prospective …

August 11, 2020Market Reports, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports

Wanted: Essential, Durable Retailers in Boston

By Alex Patton Retail real estate investors in Boston are cautiously evaluating the risk profiles of tenants even as businesses reopen following temporary closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The emerging consensus is that until a vaccine is developed to safely treat the virus, the safest investments are tied to essential tenants with reliable incomes. That short list includes grocers, drugstores, home improvement businesses and liquor stores. Like the rest of the country, all nonessential …

August 7, 2020Market Reports, Massachusetts, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, Retail

Will Social Distancing Lower Demand for Office Space in Northeast?

The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus has led to an economic crisis that is forcing office users across the region to make tough choices to continue their operations. While New York has been the epicenter of the virus, reporting nearly a third of the more than 1 million confirmed cases in the entire country, companies across the region have been forced to furlough employees and reassess their short-term needs for space. The nature of traditional office work was already changing before the virus, …

June 9, 2020Market Reports, New Jersey, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, Office

Retailers, Landlords Adjust to Pandemic

The impact of COVID-19 has forced retailers, restaurants and service providers in the Northeast to improve their digital channels and adapt social distancing policies to continue serving customers. With retailers struggling to pay rent, landlords could find mutual benefit in reaching a compromise with existing tenants before temporary closures become permanent. Unfortunately, for many small businesses the virus has activated a Darwinian battle of the fittest among retailers with primarily …

June 2, 2020Market Reports, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, Retail

Office Developers Renovate, Repurpose Outdated Assets in Northern New Jersey

From start-ups seeking flex space to major corporations that are expanding or relocating an entire office, finding a modern office space in the northern New Jersey commercial market is always a challenge.Barbara Gross, Sheldon Gross RealtyOverall, it’s a very mature environment, with many older structures and corporate parks lining the highways, and with limited new development. As an example of the resultant complexities, let’s look back to the 1980s and ’90s, when the …

April 28, 2020New Jersey, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, Office