— By Roy Fritz, First Vice President, CBRE Retail Investment Properties – West — Las Vegas’s retail investment market continues to hit the jackpot, mirroring the lucky winners that visit the city every week. The Valley remains a magnet for growth, attracting new investors who would never have considered Las Vegas in the past. High-profile recent additions like the state-of-the-art, 70,000-seat Allegiant Stadium, Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix race, MSG Sphere and the Fontainebleau luxury resort and casino have retailers and investors drawn to the city’s bright lights as they seek out that next big win. Major League Baseball is also making its mark in Las Vegas with the Oakland Athletics’ planned move to the city. The new stadium, set to open in 2028, will feature a 33,000-seat capacity and state-of-the-art amenities. It will also further cement Las Vegas as a premier sports and entertainment destination. This growth is supported by strong underlying fundamentals and economic diversification. The sentiment across the Valley’s business landscape is that the area has clearly transitioned from a tertiary market, which was highly dependent on Southern California capital just a few years ago, to a solid secondary market. This transformation has attracted investments from all …
Market Reports
In the summer of 2012, fresh out of college and starting my career in retail brokerage at KLNB, a seasoned retail broker-turned-developer warned me to consider other careers. “Retail is dying,” he said. “Why would people go to stores when it’s so easy to order online?” Well, it’s been 12 years since that moment, and I’m still waiting for the retail boogeyman to appear. As I write this, I’m happy to report he hasn’t arrived — and the data suggests he’s nowhere in sight. The Washington, D.C., metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is now in its tightest fundamental position on record due to limited new supply and continued demand from national, regional and franchised concepts. In the Washington, D.C. market, we have the second-lowest retail square footage per capita among major MSAs, with new retail supply representing just 0.4 percent of total inventory. This places the Capital Region in the bottom quartile of retail real estate inventory growth among national MSAs that have more than 100 million square feet of existing inventory. The result? Retail availability in the D.C. metro has decreased to 4.8 percent (compared to the national average of 4.7 percent), down from 5.1 percent year-over-year and 5.3 percent …
By Lee Winston, partner at Gray, Winston & Hart PLLC No income tax in Texas. The Texas Constitution prohibits it, so local funding depends primarily on property taxes. But to many Texas businesses, this “necessary evil” has become just plain evil. Over the last several years, property taxes in Texas have exploded. State politicians have taken notice and are ramping up demands to reduce or eliminate property taxes, but the alternatives are more than unpopular. For instance, nobody wants to pay — and no politician wants to stand for election on — instituting a near 20 percent sales tax. And everyone knows this. To avoid this reality, lawmakers have pivoted to find a villain, and the appraisal districts that place the taxable value on property are a ready target. The popular solutions to rein in this villain are appraisal caps, increased exemptions and value limitations, all of which offer relief to residential property owners but do little for commercial owners. And these “fixes” result in a system that is neither equal nor uniform, undermining the constitutional foundation of taxation in Texas. Our elected officials have yet to address the fundamental issue driving the over-valuation of most commercial properties, which is …
— By Amy Ogden, Partner, Industrial, LOGIC Commercial Real Estate — With the presidential election barely in our rearview mirror, many are taking a moment to assess how the outcome might impact (positively or negatively) their operations. On the one hand, this has been a resilient year for Las Vegas’ industrial market, which tracked close to 4.5 million square feet of net absorption. On the other hand, we are beginning to see a slowdown in momentum. The uncertainty of potential changes has left decision-makers hesitant, preferring to avoid any premature moves until after the holiday season. Nevertheless, the market is far from idle. The recent rate cut of 50 basis points, along with expectations of an additional reduction at the upcoming November meeting , has set a quiet hum of activity in motion. Investors and key players are discreetly exploring opportunities, positioning themselves strategically for when the time is right to act. Local industrial vacancy rates have also jump to about 7 percent as an influx of new deliveries come online. Vacancy rates are projected to hit double digits, considering an additional 4 million square feet is expected to deliver by year’s end. This is something we haven’t seen within …
The Washington, D.C., office market is facing challenging times, marked by unprecedented vacancy rates, dwindling demand and a significant supply-demand imbalance. Within these constraints, the flight to quality trend is reshaping how investors and lenders view office assets and should lead to an inventory reclassification. The divide between high-quality assets and lesser properties widens almost daily, creating a bifurcated market with fierce competition for quality space. Meanwhile, older, less desirable properties languish, accumulating vacancies as they fail to meet current occupier expectations. Without intervention, the less desirable properties will continue to drag down the market’s perception, obscuring the success of top-tier spaces with a headline vacancy rate. To contribute to the stabilization of the market, office participants must acknowledge this divide and assess distressed assets not as liabilities, but as opportunities to reset and reclassify properties based on realistic usage and demand. Lenders are central to this process as they control a substantial portion of distressed office stock. After years of extending loans to stave off foreclosure during uncertain times, many are now realizing that relief is unlikely to materialize organically. As a result, foreclosures are already up 121 percent in 2024 year-to-date over 2023 in Washington, D.C. On average, …
By Jason Baker, principal at Baker Katz If you look back about 150 years or so, drugstores have played a big role in communities nationally and across Texas. From the beginning with small corner pharmacies to today’s large retail chains with 24-hour service, drive-thrus and a wide range of products, drugstores have filled retail and service needs in the communities they serve. However, in the past few decades, there has been a noticeable shift. In the 1980s and 1990s, national chains such as Walgreens and CVS expanded rapidly, often setting up stores at the exact same intersection. These stores became go-to spots for everything from prescriptions to film processing to everyday essentials and necessities. However, their fast-paced growth also came with its own set of challenges, such as high costs of real estate and operational expenses that left the underlying real estate of many of the drugstores vulnerable when market conditions changed. Shifting Consumer Behaviors Force Adaptation Over the past two decades, consumer behavior has changed significantly. With the rise of telehealth, people can now see a doctor on Zoom and get a prescription without ever leaving their home. At the same time, online giants and big-box retailers have also …
— By Patti Dillon, Executive Vice President, Colliers — Las Vegas’ office market is at a critical juncture as shifting dynamics could shape its future for years to come. New developments like the anticipated 30-acre studios development project in discussion with Howard Hughes Corporation present opportunities, though second-generation office space is expected to dominate over the next three to five years. This shift is driven by cost efficiency, evolving tenant demands and the higher expenses tied to new construction. Though new builds offer state-of-the-art facilities, the adaptability and affordability of second-generation spaces make them a practical solution for many businesses. Las Vegas continues to attract high-profile corporate tenants from out of state. These companies are drawn to flexible office spaces that feature modern technology and proximity to mixed-use developments that support the evolving hybrid work model. The increasing demand for live-work-play environments has placed a premium on mixed-use developments that combine residential, office and retail spaces. Despite ongoing demand, the market faces significant challenges. Investor confidence has been impacted by broader economic factors, including the U.S. elections, geopolitical tensions and inflationary pressures. Supply chain disruptions, rising construction costs and higher interest rates also create barriers for developers and limit financing options …
Resilient DC Industrial Market Is Growing But Softening as Vacancy Rates Creep Higher
by John Nelson
The U.S. industrial real estate market continues to sustain, with national vacancy rates steadily creeping toward 7 percent (6.8 percent at the time of this writing). Over the past three years, the industrial real estate market continued to set records and became known as the darling asset class within the commercial real estate community. However, the market is showing signs of reversion to historical velocity and vacancy rates. The industrial vacancy rate is steadily climbing in the Washington, D.C., metro area as demand softens for third-party logistics in second-quarter 2024. Vacancies are up to 6.5 percent after reaching an all-time low of 3.8 percent at the end of 2022. The market remains tight by historical measures. However, normalized leasing velocity, a few large tenant moveouts and reduced demand is expected to provide upward pressure on the vacancy rate in 2025. Subleasing activity trended upward in the past six to 12 months to over 1.3 million square feet. A few examples of large sublets include 393,000 square feet put on the market at Capital Gateway in Brandywine; Builders First Source moved out of 135,000 square feet at Plaza 500 in Alexandria; and in the second quarter, Western Express vacated 102,000 square …
By Taylor Williams “The greatest victory is one that doesn’t require a battle.” Ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu penned that line as part of The Art of War, but in applying the expression to the (almost) equally cutthroat business of developing and investing in retail real estate, there is some wisdom to be gleaned. In simple terms, sometimes the best decision, at least temporarily, is to do nothing. Passivity does not come easily to commercial builders and buyers. Where their investors are concerned, these companies often have strict timelines for deployment of funds and even stricter benchmarks for guaranteed returns. When market conditions are favorable, these groups are pressured to maximize growth, in terms of both direct mandates from shareholders and indirect obligations via competitors being aggressive in the market. For better or worse, the market sentiments surrounding real estate development and investment embody classic principles of capitalism, and that’s unlikely to ever change. But if there is one thing developers, investors, lenders and operators across all asset classes can likely agree on, it’s that market conditions in 2024 have not been favorable. Yet the push for growth has merely slowed, not disappeared. New product must get developed to …
The multifamily market in the Washington, D.C., metro area has experienced meaningful shifts in 2024, marked by moderate demand, consistent construction and evolving investment patterns. As a major urban hub, D.C. continues to attract both local and out-of-state investors eager to tap into its growing potential. Out-of-state capital A key trend in the D.C. multifamily market is the strong influx of out-of-state capital. This year, 44 percent of buyers in our DMV (D.C., Maryland and Virginia) listings came from outside the region, drawn by the area’s stability and long-term growth potential. These out-of-market investors often pay a premium over local buyers, keeping deal volume and pricing competitive even amid rising interest rates. This steady inflow of external capital has reinforced the market’s resilience, underscoring the perceived value of D.C. multifamily assets. The demand from out-of-state investors has also provided stability to the market, helping to sustain price levels and liquidity despite macroeconomic headwinds. By bolstering interest in multifamily properties, this capital flow supports continued growth and positions D.C. as a desirable destination for long-term investment. As this trend persists, the D.C. metro area is likely to remain a focal point for diverse capital sources, ensuring strength and adaptability in its …