Market Reports

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— By David Nelson, regional president of brokerage for Northern California and Nevada, Kidder Mathews — After record figures across most U.S. industrial markets in 2021 and 2022, key fundamentals cooled in 2023 and have been recalibrating ever since. Total net absorption has been negative in recent quarters, sublease space is on the rise, vacancy and availability rates have been steadily inching up, and average asking lease rates are relatively flat. Furthermore, the recent surge in development activity due to the rise in ecommerce penetration has been slowly drying up with construction starts dropping by more than 60 percent in 2023 and 2024.  Core industrial markets in the Bay Area experienced notable increases in both vacancy and availability. Silicon Valley vacancy rose from between 1.5 percent and 2.5 percent last year to 3 percent and 4 percent in 2024. Meanwhile, East Bay rose from 3.5 percent and 4 percent in 2023 to 5.5 percent and 6.5 percent in second-quarter 2024.  During the first half of the year, an increase in sublease space has been a major contributor to the higher rates. They have increased from the pre-COVID average of 9 percent of total available space to 19 percent at the end …

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By Mary Lamie, Bi-State Development, St. Louis Regional Freightway The St. Louis regional industrial market continues to be a magnet for investment, with significant capital investment dollars flowing into four target industry sectors that remain key drivers of the bi-state economy. These sectors include metals, advanced manufacturing, food and AgTech, and chemicals. They are legacy industry sectors poised for continued innovation, job creation and economic diversification, in part due to the region’s exceptional logistics and transportation assets and established talent pipelines. Metals  The St. Louis metropolitan area ranks second in the United States for mineral and ore exports. With more than $2.9 billion exported in 2022, the figures prove the market is well established for metals manufacturing, processing and shipping. The metals market is expected to grow with nearly 17,000 metals industry workers already in the region, and with copper supplier Wieland making a $500 million investment at its East Alton, Illinois, facility — a move that will retain 800 jobs in the region. “Wieland is committed to a sustainable future and is taking significant steps to modernize its East Alton facility,” says Greg Keown, president of Wieland Rolled Products North America. “This effort solidifies our ability to supply the …

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By Francis Greenburger, founder, chairman & CEO, Time Equities Inc.  The recent changes to New York laws regarding rent-stabilized apartments, included in the 2024 budget legislation and signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul, are a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, the step is so small that the effect will be the same as standing still. Much of the initial commentary on 2024 housing law updates was about the so-called “good cause eviction” provisions, which have little to do with eviction but are instead a rebranding of rent control.  In 2019, the legislature made significant changes to the rules governing rent-stabilized apartments. Most legislators who voted for this bill undoubtedly hoped to help New York State meet its affordable housing needs, but the opposite has happened. Thousands of low-cost, rent-stabilized apartments have since become vacant and remain so. Many of these apartments were occupied by tenants or families for 40 years or more. Apartments require capital investments periodically, and expectations for housing change dramatically over long periods. Renovating these units to meet modern standards requires significant investment, often mandated by housing code. Until the changes, building owners were willing to make these investments because they were permitted to increase …

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— By Kazuko Morgan, executive vice chair; Alanna Joy Loeffler, managing director, business strategy and development, Americas retail services; and Soany Gunawan, senior research analyst, San Francisco retail research, Cushman & Wakefield — Over the past few years, the headline narrative surrounding San Francisco has focused on store closures, complex governance issues and city challenges. However, with one of the highest U.S. household incomes, a rising population count and the lowest unemployment rate in California, the city remains a beacon of opportunity, innovation and creativity. Within the urban retail market, San Francisco continues to demonstrate resilience and growth with a host of new brands, products and services arriving and thriving.  Retail sales in San Francisco have continued to increase, climbing an estimated 5.7 percent year over year to $37.1 billion in the second quarter of 2024. A multitude of exciting brands and new concepts are opening, flourishing or expanding. INGKA has launched its first-ever food hall, Saluhall, a 23,000-square-foot, plant-forward culinary project connected to the IKEA store at 945 Market Street. This addition not only creates jobs but enriches the community with regular events, highlighting local food vendors while offering fun and educational cooking classes. MillerKnoll’s modern furnishings brand Design Within Reach …

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The commercial real estate market, particularly in the retail leasing sector, has been navigating a complex and dynamic landscape over the past few years. With a blend of high demand, limited supply and fluctuating economic variables, the Orlando market presents both challenges and opportunities for developers, landlords and tenants alike. High demand, limited supply One of the most prominent trends in the Orlando retail leasing market is the high demand for quality retail spaces. Retailers are eager to establish and expand their presence in this thriving market, driven by a growing population and increasing consumer spending. However, the inventory of quality existing retail bays is incredibly scarce. This scarcity has created a competitive environment where desirable locations are quickly snapped up, often at premium prices. The supply-demand imbalance has pushed developers to sharpen their pencils and critically analyze the feasibility of new projects. Despite the strong demand, many deals struggle to pencil out due to the high costs of construction materials and labor. These costs have remained elevated, making it challenging for developers to achieve a satisfactory return on investment. As a result, some projects are delayed or shelved, further constraining the supply of retail space. Housing spurs development The …

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By Taylor Williams An attractive, successful woman walks into a bar and posts up. Within minutes, multiple men have approached her, offering to buy her a drink. And while she doesn’t really need the freebie, who can blame her for accepting it? After all, nothing’s more American than having a little extra icing on your cake. To analogize this scenario to commercial real estate, think of Texas as the woman and the burgeoning semiconductor industry as the free drinks. The state’s economy was doing just fine without the mega-boost from manufacturing initiatives stemming from the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, which has resulted in tens of billions of dollars in capital investment for North and Central Texas. But with a well-deserved reputation for welcoming businesses of all types, Texas wouldn’t be Texas if it didn’t court and embrace these manufacturers in these areas, which for many years were predominantly rural communities. Semiconductors, or computer chips, are essential elements of virtually all electronic and computing devices, including electric vehicles, phones, tablets, TVs, home appliances, solar panels and video game consoles. The CHIPS and Science Act laid the framework for the country to gain market share in terms of manufacturing these components, …

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— By Matt Davis — Imperial County is deeply intertwined with agriculture, experiencing significant growth in both farmable acreage and the value of its agricultural outputs. The region has had a 20 percent increase in the number of farms, a 40 percent expansion in farmed acreage and a nearly 65 percent rise in the market value of agricultural products sold over the past five years. However, agriculture is not the only growing industry in the Valley. It will also soon be recognized for its lithium extraction and geothermal energy production, as well as its role as a strategic logistics hub.  As newer industry sectors continue to grow and evolve in the region, their demand for land will also increase. Fortunately, Imperial County boasts ample available land to meet these needs. Investor interest in Imperial Valley land has surged as agricultural areas — despite continued growth — are increasingly transitioning to higher and better uses in key areas of the Valley.  From Farming To Energy Forward-thinking investors and developers have begun to purchase and reposition legacy agricultural land to support emerging lithium mining operations in northern Imperial County and logistics users near the Calexico-East port of entry in the south. They …

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Orlando’s industrial market has enjoyed consistently low vacancy, robust new development and significant rent growth year after year since the onset of the pandemic. While fundamentals remain strong, project deliveries and changing size preferences for leased space have caused a shift in activity. From an economic perspective, Orlando is well-positioned. The unemployment rate has decreased by 30 basis points since first-quarter 2024, reaching 2.9 percent, notably lower than the national average of 4.3 percent. Over the past year, nonfarm employment has grown by 1.4 percent with construction employment seeing a significant increase of 2.9 percent during the same period. Small to mid-sized spaces For the past 20 consecutive quarters, Orlando has maintained positive net absorption. Small bay and other tenants under 200,000 square feet have dominated leasing activity, while demand for spaces over 200,000 square feet has significantly slowed.  As a result, year-to-date absorption is just over 800,000 square feet, representing a 40.8 percent decrease compared to 2023’s midyear total and the lowest midyear total since 2020. This slowdown in absorption is accompanied by a rise in vacancy rates, which have increased by 1 percent since last year and 3 percent since 2022. ATR Commercial Flooring took 150,600 square feet …

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— By Pat Swanson — Orange County’s multifamily housing market is still facing challenges. These include rising operating expenses, such as escalating insurance costs and new regulatory standards like SB 721. However, I am optimistic that the county will experience a soft landing compared to other parts of the country. Inflationary pressures and stringent rent control measures in areas like Santa Ana have heightened financial burdens for property owners, impacting profitability and investment decisions. Investors are increasingly favoring higher-quality, long-term assets in premier coastal locations like Newport Beach where properties have shown robust rent growth, averaging 5 percent annually over the past five years. Our team of multifamily advisors works closely with clients to navigate this evolving landscape, emphasizing opportunities in high-demand, flight-to-quality assets. Seller-carry financing and loan assumptions have emerged as highly sought-after options, appealing to buyers seeking reduced upfront costs and flexible financing terms, while allowing sellers to maximize property value without heavy down payment requirements. There is pent-up demand in Orange County’s multifamily housing market, particularly for properties in the right areas. Our expertise lies in identifying and leveraging these opportunities for our clients. By understanding the nuances of market demand and regulatory changes, we can help …

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By George Pofok, Cushman & Wakefield | CRESCO Real Estate The Northeast Ohio market has consistently been a stable industrial hub, and over the last couple years, has been attracting the interest of investors and developers from other regions. Spanning approximately 527 million square feet, this market stretches from Cleveland down I-77 to include Akron-Canton.  In the second quarter of 2024, the overall vacancy rate decreased to 2.8 percent, driven by 1.1 million square feet of positive direct absorption, a strong recovery from the negative absorption in the first quarter. Over the past few years, the vacancy rate has remained between 2.4 and 3 percent.  Leasing activity kicked off the year robustly, with 4 million square feet of leases in the first quarter. However, it normalized in the second quarter, with 1.6 million square feet leased, which was slightly below the usual pace. The market is expected to remain stagnant due to limited inventory and a lack of new speculative construction starts, which continue to hinder demand from local and regional tenants seeking to expand and backfill spaces.  Leasing deals are trending longer, between five to 10 years, with annual rental rate increases averaging 3 to 4 percent. Meanwhile, the …

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