Market Reports

Pandemic, Shifts in Consumer Behavior Trigger Fundamental Changes in Design of Public Spaces

by Kristin Harlow December 24, 2020

By Bob Kraemer, Kraemer Design Group The way that we work, eat, shop, gather and interact in community spaces will never look the same. While we may someday return to dine-in experiences and large-scale events, it’s clear the novel coronavirus has prompted profound and pervasive societal changes that are here to stay. It should come as no surprise to anyone who understands the deep connection between designed spaces and the people who occupy them that public spaces will need to evolve. We have already seen an evolution of spaces in order to stay relevant, stay profitable and in some cases, stay open. What does all of this mean for design and development? To understand what the brick-and-mortar landscape of tomorrow might look like, we have to think differently about the design of public spaces and the evolving priorities and practices of consumers, diners and office users. The waiting game Thinking differently about the design and functionality of public spaces means ensuring spaces formerly seen as functional or utilitarian are updated to address health and safety concerns and are no longer viewed and designed as an afterthought — but as strategically designed spaces. For example, diners waiting to be seated or …

December 24, 2020

Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports

Commercial Real Estate Trends for 2021: Building Documentation Enters the 21st Century

by Taylor Williams December 23, 2020

By Kurt Yeghian, CEO, and Jared Curtis, president, Existing Conditions Surveys Commercial and institutional real estate developers in the Northeast have one priority mantra for 2021: no more costly surprises. With property deals and development projects resuming in an industry badly scarred by the coronavirus pandemic, the CRE community wants certainty above all — certainty in determining the value of their assets, in acquiring struggling portfolios and in repurposing vacant spaces and structures. As-built conditions form the basic DNA of any development. Nowhere are those specifics more suspect than in the Northeast, where the only record of square footage, dimensions, walls, floors and other structural features are blueprints created decades ago by architectural interns with tape measurers or surveyors relying on low-tech equipment. Property owners encounter inaccurate blueprints more often in the Northeast than in other parts of the country, but it’s a common problem in any region with older development. Smart players in the development community are avoiding expensive surprises — and sometimes uncovering hidden value — by turning to 21st century building documentation techniques. These practices rely on the same digital reality capture technology that has fueled advancements in robotics, self-driving vehicles and drones. Our experience in this …

December 23, 2020

District of Columbia Market Reports Retail Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Pandemic Hits Retail Investment Sales in D.C., But Signs of Revival Start to Show

by John Nelson December 22, 2020

The retail investment sales market in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore metro area, just like the rest of the United States, has been detrimentally impacted by COVID-19. Multi-tenant retail investment markets have essentially shut down, sellers and buyers are unable to come to pricing conclusions and most investment opportunities have shifted into urban areas that are experiencing more immediate distress. As COVID-19 cases continue to spike, and with further tightening of lockdown policy likely forthcoming, this trend will continue as the restaurant and entertainment industry bears the brunt of winter. This will present investors with the opportunity to purchase fundamentally solid urban real estate at a discount as the market for larger shopping centers waits to reset. It comes as no surprise that shopping center investment sales are anemic. Over the trailing three months in the D.C.-Baltimore area, there has been a paltry $49 million in sales volume across three transactions for retail centers exceeding $10 million. This compared to $196 million across nine transactions in the same period last year, a 75 percent decrease in volume. Further, of these transactions, two of them — Bel Air Town Center, purchased by JCR Cos. for $21 million, and Hagerstown Shopping Center, purchased by …

December 22, 2020

Market Reports Multifamily Texas Texas Market Reports

Austin Poised to Emerge From Pandemic as a Premier Multifamily Market

by Taylor Williams December 22, 2020

By Sean Sorrell, senior managing director, JLL As we enter 2021, there’s no doubt that we are emerging from one of the most unique and trying years that our modern civilization has ever confronted, and we all likely agree that we will never again endure a pandemic of this scale. As of the writing of this article, the first vaccines have arrived in Austin; our first responders have begun administering it to the public and we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. In the face of these challenges, Austin continues to flourish, at least on a relative basis, and its real estate industry is poised to take a firm lead as one of the strongest real estate markets in the nation, if not the world. A key discipline within the industry is the apartment rental market, which is currently facing obstacles but continues to successfully navigate market conditions all the same. The metro Austin apartment inventory is now approaching 200,000 units — a growth rate of 75 percent over the last eight years. While many cities would wilt under the pressure of this ongoing development surge, this market has flourished. The ongoing supply has marginally …

December 22, 2020

Market Reports Northeast Northeast Market Reports

COVID-19 Catalyzes Innovation in Marketing, Delivery of Real Estate Services

by Taylor Williams December 18, 2020

By Natalie Hwang, founding managing partner of Apeira Capital Advisors In the 1920s, President Calvin Coolidge made the saying famous that the business of America is business. Now, for the real estate sector in the age of COVID-19, the business of real estate is innovation. To build value in the pandemic economy, real estate companies need to find new modes of distribution, facilitated by technology, to connect with consumers, partners, tenants, investors and other key stakeholders. Once upon a time, and not all that long ago, bricks and mortar were king. Today, the COVID crisis has sharply accelerated online shopping and upended our traditional dependence on physical real estate as an exclusive distribution point for content, goods and services. This trend is nothing new, as businesses reliant on public contact have been casualties of tech innovation for decades. Long before the pandemic hit, e-commerce was displacing retail, robots were replacing warehouse workers and an erosion of labor’s bargaining power was placing downward pressure on service-sector wages. COVID-19 has only expedited the trajectory of these market participants and revealed the weaknesses of businesses that depend mainly on in-person contact. The urgency and suddenness of the lockdowns earlier this year demonstrated how …

December 18, 2020

Market Reports Midwest Market Reports Office

Office Space After Coronavirus: the New Norm with Remote Workers

by Kristin Harlow December 17, 2020

By Steve Kimball, emersion Design The impact of COVID-19 on workplaces will continue long after the virus has subsided. A majority of large corporations have embraced remote working, with many in the technology space such as Google, Twitter and Microsoft announcing they’ll keep a majority of employees permanently working from home. But it’s not just big technology companies that are taking this approach. New research from Harvard Business School cites at least 16 percent of the U.S. workforce will be remote moving forward. Additionally, a study by 451 Research shows that number could go as high as 67 percent being remote. Jobs in technology, healthcare, customer service, education, accounting and sales are considered the most likely to shift permanently to remote work. What does that mean for traditional office space? There will still be robust office environments, although changes are coming. These vary from what is in the office to where it will now be located. Downsize, upgrade Cost savings achieved by less square footage needs will enable companies to relocate to a more desirable location, offer additional amenities onsite and upgrade the office environment. While less space is required, companies can use the savings to upgrade the office with …

December 17, 2020

Market Reports Midwest Market Reports Multifamily Student Housing

How COVID-19 Will Alter the Evolution of Student Housing

by Kristin Harlow December 10, 2020

By Justin Wybenga, GMH Capital Partners The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold globally, shifting the way we conduct business and go about our day-to-day lives. Across all sectors of commercial real estate, we’ve seen a lot of change, from sanitation measures to limited in-person interactions and occupancy. The most important lesson from 2020 is the need to be resilient and adapt as the landscape evolves. That’s exactly what we’re seeing in student housing, especially in the Midwest, as owners prepare for next year. Here are four trends we can expect to see in the Midwest student housing sector in 2021 as a result of COVID-19. Sanitation, touch-free COVID-19 has introduced a whole new set of cleaning best practices, and moving forward, residents expect enhanced methods in their communities. To satisfy the new sanitation expectations, we’ve seen owners implement a variety of initiatives, such as installing upgraded air filtration systems and using hospital-grade electrostatic sprayers to sanitize commonly touched surfaces, disinfecting all amenity and common areas on a regular basis, and requiring all staff members to use personal protective equipment (PPE). Many residents are also looking for convenient contactless or concierge-focused amenities, such as package and food …

December 10, 2020

Georgia Market Reports Office Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Atlanta’s Office Market is Going to be Just Fine as New Developments Come on Line

by Alex Tostado December 7, 2020

We’ve all seen the depressing commercial real estate news stories about the state of the office market, with words like “bleak,” “hazy” or “obsolete” in the headlines. Questions surround every major market, including Atlanta — a metro market known for its dependable economy and robust demand. Admittedly, Atlanta has had its struggles during the pandemic, like slow leasing activity and rising rental rates, but not everything is doom and gloom. New City Properties, in the middle of breaking ground on Mailchimp’s new headquarters, announced it was upping the budget to prepare for future pandemics, including setting money aside for technology that is not even available yet. Other developers are choosing to prioritize private green space over expensive machinery. Midtown’s new Norfolk Southern headquarters, opening by the third quarter of 2021, takes advantage of its 3.4-acre lot by developing a campus-style hub filled with parks and a rooftop garden. Employees who utilize these outdoor spaces decrease the risk of airborne transmissions, as well as promote healthy habits. Not every office building has the room for large outdoor forums, so other owners are doing away with cubicles and building out private offices. Or if they have cubes, they’re advised to choose bigger …

December 7, 2020

Industrial Market Reports Texas Texas Market Reports

Spec Industrial Development Accelerates Throughout Texas

by Taylor Williams November 24, 2020

Industrial developers throughout the major markets of Texas are hustling to acquire and entitle land, arrange construction financing and break ground on projects to meet ever-growing requests for an increasingly diverse group of users. Accelerated demand for e-commerce and logistics services and sustained population growth ensure that new, well-located industrial spaces will be absorbed as soon as they come on line — if not before then. Developers are increasing the proportion of spec projects within their portfolios in response to this. A recent example of such a project is the 1.3 million-square-foot Fort Worth Logistics Hub, a spec project by locally based developer VanTrust Real Estate that is designed to meet rising demand from logistics users. The developer broke ground on Phase I of the project, which is located in South Fort Worth, in late October and expects to deliver a 670,941-square-foot building in July 2021. “Right now, nearly all of our projects across 10 major markets, including Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) are being developed on speculative basis,” says Rob Huthnance, partner at California-based investment and development firm CT Realty. “As long as the level of tenant demand remains at or near where it is now, there will continue to be …

November 24, 2020

Conference Coverage Market Reports Multifamily Texas Texas Market Reports

Multifamily Architects, Contractors Deliver Services in New Ways to Keep Projects Moving, Say InterFace Panelists

by Taylor Williams November 23, 2020

By Taylor Williams Like most members of the working world, professionals who design and build multifamily properties in Texas have had to adjust how they do business and service clients in response to COVID-19. But many of these companies and individuals have managed to do so in ways that haven’t significantly hindered workflow. From conducting virtual meetings with staff or clients to using complex interfaces that allow for real-time illustrations to maintaining strict distancing and tracking protocols on job sites, architects and contractors are finding solutions that minimize pandemic-related disruptions. Some delays in the design and building processes have been inevitable. Job sites sometimes have to be shut down when workers test positive. But these solutions, paired with Texas municipalities’ general recognition of construction as an essential industry, have limited the extent to which public health concerns have pushed projects behind schedule and/or over budget. That’s according to design and construction panelists at the ninth annual InterFace Multifamily Texas conference. The two-day event was held virtually on Nov. 18-19. Rich Kelley, president of InterFace Conference Group, the division of Atlanta-based France Media that hosted the conference, moderated the panel. Conducting Daily Work The pivot to platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft …

November 23, 2020

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