Northeast Market Reports

Philadelphia Rent & Occupancy Graph 2020

Philadelphia’s New Brand Identity in Commercial Real Estate

by Sarah Daniels February 26, 2020

Interest in Philadelphia among commercial real estate investors has been on the rise for years. But the Eastern Pennsylvania market managed to maintain a relatively low profile in the public consciousness, overshadowed by its larger East Coast primary market rivals, each with its own clear brand identity. But this is largely a thing of the past. Philadelphia has emerged lately as a leader in cutting-edge biotech and life science innovation. The city is a magnet for gene and cell-level therapy entrepreneurs, a status that is rapidly evolving into a distinct brand. Billions in venture capital and real estate investment have followed, elevating the Athens of America to the top rank of U.S. competitors for global investment cash. The multifamily sector is a chief beneficiary of the trend. Fueled by strong demand for luxury space, builders ratcheted apartment development higher over the past 10 years, raising construction starts from about 4,000 units per year at mid-decade to 6,000 annually since 2017. Currently, there are about 8,000 multifamily units under construction, and the pace isn’t likely to slow much this year. The magnitude of the supply surge is anticipated with a degree of trepidation in some quarters. Philadelphia renters have never absorbed …

February 26, 2020

New Jersey Northeast Northeast Market Reports Pennsylvania Retail

Philadelphia Retail Market Embraces Change in ’20s

by Alex Patton February 25, 2020

As our economy fades out of one decade and cruises into the next, a look in the rearview mirror reveals more than 10 years of expansion and 10-year GDP growth in excess of 26 percent. Sean Beuche, Marcus & Millichap The Philadelphia and Northeastern retail investment sales markets should be both thankful for progress made and road bumps navigated and mindful of several current trends affecting transactions and challenges looming on the horizon for owners and tenants of single and multi-tenant retail assets alike. Savvy Investors enter 2020 with the wind at their backs in many respects while also facing some familiar and unconventional challenges ahead. The 3.7 percent unemployment remains near a 50-year low, meaning that consumers are gainfully employed with money to spend. Mixed-use developments that capture the live-work-play lifestyle are ubiquitous and keep placemaking everywhere they spring up. Millennials and baby boomers alike are demanding walkable communities and opportunities to spend more of their money closer to home via dining out, signing up for memberships at gyms and fitness centers. Both these groups are enjoying the experiential retail that every landlord desires in their centers and portfolios. Stocks of publicly traded retailers like Target, Walmart, and Home …

February 25, 2020

New York Multifamily Rent and Occupancy Forecast 2020

Content Partner Features Lument Market Reports Multifamily New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports RED Capital Group

Expanded Rent Stabilization Law Freezes NYC Stabilized Multifamily Property Market, Generates Buying Opportunities for Intrepid Investors

by Sarah Daniels February 21, 2020

New York state authorities last year passed legislation designed to maintain rental affordability and housing stability in the Empire State. Mandated changes for units not currently subject to stabilization were mostly technical in nature — relating to rent increase notification periods, evictions and security deposits — but the impact on the New York City’s nearly 1 million regulated units was significant. Previously, an owner’s ability to raise stabilized unit rents was limited by a city board, except upon vacancy or after major property or unit improvements were made. These exceptions were curtailed by the legislation, largely negating the appeal of buying, renovating and repositioning older properties. The regulations sent a chill through the recently hot New York City multifamily property market. Sales volume dropped by half last year to about $3.3 billion, with the largest declines coming after the law took effect at mid-year. Indeed, volume in the typically busy fourth quarter plunged to less than $200 million, the lowest single-quarter sales total since recessionary 2010. Although obscured by thin volume, cap rates appeared to rise. After hovering near 4 percent throughout 2018, institutional B/B+ quality asset purchase yields gapped higher, drifting up to about 4.25 percent at mid-year and …

February 21, 2020

Life Sciences Market Reports Massachusetts Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office

Boston Life Sciences Market Shows No Sign of Slowing in 2020

by Alex Patton February 18, 2020

At this point, it sounds like the movie “Groundhog Day,” but 2019 was another impressive year of growth and success for the greater Boston life sciences real estate market — and that growth shows no signs of subsiding any time soon. Duncan Gratton, Cushman & Wakefield Strong levels of venture capital investment, big pharmaceutical partnerships and merger and acquisition activity continued to fuel unprecedented demand for life sciences space, not only in and around Cambridge but also in submarkets like the Seaport, Watertown and certain Route 128 corridors. Venture capital (VC) funding for life sciences, while not quite at 2018 levels, remained robust with nearly $6 billion invested through the end of November. Major funding deals that closed in 2019 include Ginkgo Bioworks ($290 million), ElevateBio ($150 million) and Beam Therapeutics Inc. ($135 million), which all committed to leasing lab space in existing buildings and new developments throughout the area. Supply-Demand Balance The urban Massachusetts life sciences market, which includes Boston, Cambridge, and the inner suburbs of Watertown, Lexington, Medford and Waltham, now enjoys an inventory of about 20 million square feet and ended 2019 with a vacancy rate of just over 4 percent. Successful speculative developments at Arsenal Yards …

February 18, 2020

Civic New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports

Passive House Construction Can Help NYC Developers Save on Emissions Costs

by Alex Patton February 12, 2020

Recently, New York City passed the Climate Mobilization Act bill as a way to counter climate change. If passed into law, the bill’s foundation would require buildings that are larger than 25,000 square feet to cut climate emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and by more than 80 percent by 2050. The legislation also requires certain buildings to cover roofs with plants, solar panels, small wind turbines or a combination of those elements. Rent-regulated housing, as well as structures of worship, won’t be subject to the emissions cap. However, building owners whose properties are subject to the new law will be fined $268 for every ton of emission beyond an individual building’s limit. To make the necessary changes to avoid these massive penalties — such as replacing outdated heating, cooling and lighting systems — owners will need to retrofit older buildings with updated energy-efficient technology. The legislation demonstrates what a metropolitan version of the Green New Deal, the national movement for a multi-trillion dollar, climate-friendly plan, might look like. The legislation is expected to create thousands of blue collar jobs and make it easier for the city to take advantage of future state and federal funding for clean energy projects …

February 12, 2020

Market Reports New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports Retail

Savvy Retailers ‘Recalibrate’ in New York City

by Taylor Williams February 5, 2020

Manhattan has long been one of the most competitive retail markets in the country due to two characteristics of its population: an incredible density and high incomes among residents and workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average weekly wage of Manhattan’s private sector workforce was $3,153 in the first quarter of 2019, much higher than the national average of $1,184 per week. In addition to its residential base, tourism plays a strong role in Manhattan’s retail sales. Marketing agency NYC & Co. projects that New York City will host 67 million visitors this year, up from approximately 65 million in 2018. While these demographic factors have kept Manhattan’s brick-and-mortar retail market somewhat insulated from e-commerce and other factors affecting the industry, the borough has not been completely shielded from the woes affecting the retail industry. Pocket-sized technology offers immediate access to everything from groceries and apparel to cars and construction materials, forcing brick-and-mortar retailers to get creative with their shopping experiences in order to avoid closing stores. Manhattan remains a top-tier market that commands rents above the national average. But the net result of e-commerce and asking rents that don’t match operating costs is a shift in …

February 5, 2020

Market Reports New Jersey Northeast Northeast Market Reports Retail

American Dream Ushers in Retail, Entertainment Growth in Northern New Jersey

by Taylor Williams January 29, 2020

Across the Hudson River, retailers and residents in Northern New Jersey benefit from lower rents and lower sales prices relative to Manhattan. In addition, mass transit lines that cross the river enable mixed-use destinations that offer dining and entertainment experiences, including the new American Dream project, to function as day-trip destinations for residents and tourists. “Northern New Jersey is still a strong tenant’s market,” says John Azarian, co-founder and CEO of New Jersey-based brokerage firm The Azarian Group. “Tenants are commanding and receiving substantial build-out and tenant improvement accommodations, with the strongest retail tenants being in the service, fitness and dining industries.” The retail vacancy rate in Northern New Jersey in the third quarter stood at 4.2 percent, unchanged from a year ago. During the same period, the asking rent rose 2.1 percent to $26.47 per square foot, according to Marcus & Millichap. The firm projects that 3.1 million square feet of new retail space will be delivered in Northern New Jersey by the end of 2019. Most of that new product will be housed at the American Dream entertainment and retail development in East Rutherford. In late October, Triple Five Group opened the first phase of its approximately $5 …

January 29, 2020

Market Reports Massachusetts Multifamily Northeast Northeast Market Reports

Selling Affordability is Crucial in Metro Boston

by Taylor Williams January 22, 2020

With a pressing demand for new housing in the Boston area and communities struggling to provide affordable options to mitigate the effect of rising prices, the barriers to providing new affordable multifamily properties remain significant. Here in the Boston region, the scale of the problem is immense. Boston’s Metropolitan Area Planning Council recently declared a need for 185,000 new units of housing over next 10 or so years in the 15 cities and towns that comprise the inner core of the metro area — just to keep up with expected growth. Some of the integral variables and processes associated with multifamily development, like land acquisition and construction costs, can be tangibly quantified. But harder to define is the often unpredictable process of securing public approvals, wherein a development team must navigate the sometimes contentious ground between neighborhood groups and regulatory agencies. Locally Scaled Solutions In 2018, Related Beal completed The Beverly, a 239-unit, income-restricted project in downtown Boston, capturing headlines that heralded this significant model for addressing housing affordability in the region. Landmark projects like The Beverly represent great strides toward addressing the housing affordability crisis and have helped raise the awareness of efforts to develop real solutions to the …

January 22, 2020

Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports Office

Office Landlords in Northeast Offer an Array of Amenities to Attract Tenants

by Taylor Williams January 15, 2020

In the largest office markets of the Northeast, landlords are competing to attract valuable corporate tenants by providing the highest quality work-life balance for the region’s talented workforce. The Boston, New York and Philadelphia office markets are among the most competitive in the country. While factors like salary, commute time and personal fulfilment remain important in deciding where to work, employees are now placing more emphasis on amenities and work-life balance in their final decisions. Consequently, employers are making a point to meet those demands by investing in properties with convenient access to those amenities, in particular fitness, dining and transit. According to Colliers International, Class A office asking rents in Boston rose 9.9 percent in the third quarter of 2019, commanding $100 per square foot in the city’s hottest markets. Lauren Vecchione, senior vice president in the Boston office of Colliers, says that landlords have to provide competitive amenities if they want to command and achieve the asking rents in submarkets with the strongest demand, including the Seaport, Financial District, Back Bay and Cambridge’s Kendall Square. “Larger and smaller tenants alike are focused on finding efficient spaces that allow them to build out a creative office experience for their …

January 15, 2020

Connecticut Market Reports New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports

Investors Like Fairfield, Westchester Counties

by Taylor Williams January 8, 2020

With a unemployment rate of 3.9 percent, strong demographics, transportation that provides direct access to New York City and a highly skilled workforce, Westchester County is seeing steady investor interest across all major property types. We have seen significant interest from institutional investors, including pension fund advisors, insurance companies and REITs. This same buyer class has continued to underwrite increased rent growth in the more urban markets of Westchester County — Yonkers, New Rochelle, White Plains — ranging from 2.5 to 4.5 percent depending on occupancy and development pipeline within the local submarkets. This investor group is targeting yields of 5.5 to 6.5 percent in return on cost metrics and purchasing existing assets for cap rates ranging from 4.4 to 5.3 percent, depending on the age, location and upside of the transaction. That spread has historically been between 150 and 200 basis points. Given the need to put capital to work, the spread is now closer to 100 basis points, reflecting more aggressive pricing for the market. This trend is evident in the Westchester market with new construction projects in the transportation-oriented towns. In addition, interest rates have helped keep investors motivated to buy. Low yields have helped to keep …

January 8, 2020

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