It seems as though we have recently seen significant weekly announcements about investment and job creation by major U.S. companies into the Research Triangle Park region, the area situated between the cities of Raleigh and Durham. For instance, tech titans Apple and Google declared plans to establish major engineering hubs in the region, adding heat to an already dynamic market. It is common knowledge that the Triangle area is respected for its large, highly educated workforce thanks to top-ranking colleges and universities, including Duke University, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Wake Tech, North Carolina’s largest community college, also serves as a vital engine, providing the region’s workforce with STEM candidates. These institutions supply existing and expanding businesses with an impressive talent pool. Theses factors, along with a business-friendly economic climate, have grown the Research Triangle into one of the nation’s largest research centers. Although local headlines continue to buzz with real estate business news, the Raleigh-Durham industrial market has witnessed steady real estate investments from life sciences and R&D businesses for decades. Over the past 24 months, however, demand for life sciences space has had a dramatic impact on traditional flex/light industrial users …
By Andrew Dickson, managing director, Newmark Almost daily, Newmark’s Central Texas multifamily capital markets group speaks with investors looking to enter the Austin multifamily market. With headlines aplenty about corporate relocations to the city, investors are often looking to trade tax-burdensome environments for business-friendly ones like Texas. What is driving the interest, and what is it actually like buying multifamily assets in Central Texas today? Economic Synopsis According to data from Opportunity Austin, the economic initiative of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, more than 100 companies have made relocation or expansion announcements in Austin, resulting in over 15,000 jobs pledged through June 2021. Opportunity Austin tracked 22,114 new jobs announced in 2020 — a record-breaking year — and the city is presumably on its way to another record-setting year in 2021. It is worth noting that many of the jobs announced in 2019 and 2020 are still forthcoming. Like many industries, tech firms often cluster together. Whether relocation announcements are due to existing synergies with other firms or cost-reduction strategies, we anticipate the trend of tech or tech-adjacent companies moving to Central Texas to continue. Due to these local shifts, as well as macroeconomic housing impacts, the single-family housing …
By Jason Krug, Berkadia Sunbelt states are top of mind for multifamily investors these days, as COVID-19 has accelerated the trend of renters leaving major cities in search of more space and a better cost of living. Of course, the allure of sunshine and warm weather is hard to compete with, but cities across the Midwest are also seeing a spike in interest from renters and investors and chief among them is Detroit. There has been overwhelming interest in multifamily opportunities in and around the city, as investors looking for yield move beyond core and core-plus markets in search of real value deals, which Detroit has aplenty. So, what’s driving this interest, and why should more investors be paying attention to Detroit? There are a few key reasons. Solid fundamentals Limited supply of new units being delivered across the state will continue to drive organic rent growth. As is the case across the country, there is a shortage of housing throughout Detroit and the metro area. Although Detroit’s population growth is smaller compared to the South and Southeast, the region has a fraction of the units coming out of the ground as the South and Southeast, paving the way for …
By Tim Harrison, Research Manager, JLL After one the strictest and longest shelter-in-place orders in the nation, Oregon is officially back open for business and all signs point to a strong recovery in Portland. People are travelling again, with airline passengers through Portland International Airport totaling more than 1 million in May. This represents about 63 percent of the normal 2019 monthly average, according to the Port of Portland’s aviation stats. Perhaps most importantly, people are returning to the downtown core for both business and pleasure with weekly visits through Pioneer Mall — the center of downtown — up to about 70 percent of 2019’s average weekly visits, per Placer.ai. This optimism is transferring to the office market, where Portland leasing activity is up more than 33 percent year over year. The recovery is being led by industries old and new. Out in the suburbs, Portland’s largest apparel companies are expanding on campus, while new leases were signed by Lululemon and On-Running in newer creative spaces on the urban fringe. Portland’s life sciences sector is approaching a critical mass as Bay Area company Twist Biosciences entered the market by absorbing 215,000 square feet. Meanwhile, Vancouver, Wash.-based AbSci raised more than …
By Justin Wybenga, vice president of asset services, GMH Communities Every day, we see the world constantly changing. Whether it’s advancements in technology, culture, arts or sciences, there are many things to look forward to as life and business return to normal. One sector of commercial real estate that continues to experience breakthroughs is life sciences. Case in point: Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYC Economic Development Corp. announced that the organization would double its investment to $1 billion to establish New York City as the global leader in life sciences. With the increasing demand for research and lab space comes an emerging need for innovative housing that supports the rapidly growing population of researchers, professors, graduate students and third-shift workers. Historically, amenities and services for this group have been an afterthought. We saw a void in this space and recently launched a completely new vertical called “Innovative Living.” Innovative Living takes best practices from conventional multifamily and student housing, including cutting-edge technology and best-in-class amenities and services, and tailors those features to accommodate the specific needs of professionals and graduate and postgraduate students working or learning in major innovation hubs. Understand Residents’ Needs Fostering a collaborative living environment …
By Bob Mohr, chairman, Mohr Capital When people talk about Austin, they call it one of the best places in the country to live. They talk about the live music scene, the die-hard fans who flock to The University of Texas football games and the hills sprouting bluebonnets. They talk about Austin attracting California residents and companies during the pandemic, bolstering the city’s tech base and positioning it as a significant Silicon Valley rival. They talk about office demand and the increasing costs of single-family housing. Few people mention Austin’s industrial market, but they really should, because there’s a heck of lot to talk about. At 55 million square feet, Austin’s industrial market is still fairly small, especially compared with the Lone Star State’s big three metros of Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Houston and San Antonio. Despite its size, the Austin industrial market is experiencing significant demand from various companies, particularly e-commerce and service-related tenants. And even though Austin tends to be a bit of a bubble market, money is flowing in the form of new construction and investor interest. Absorption Pushes Occupancy Historically, Austin has not been a big box warehouse market. Most industrial inventory is smaller, developed to cater …
Charlotte’s South End district has firmly established itself as one of the most dynamic millennial urban submarkets in the Sun Belt. It is increasingly on par with the most thriving areas in other growth cities such as Atlanta, Austin and Nashville and is becoming a 24-hour neighborhood with dining, nightlife and high-end jobs. Charlotte is one of the few cities in the region that has both a true city center as well as a relevant mass transit system. The city’s LYNX Blue Line, which runs from Interstate 485 to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s main campus, has proven to be very meaningful for the local multifamily market. LYNX was the catalyst driving South End’s emergence and gives the neighborhood its own heartbeat as renters can commute to Uptown for work or UNC Charlotte for class. Developers are taking note with several apartment projects and mixed-use developments underway in the area, including Broadstone Queen City and Haven South End. As South End has grown into a more dynamic district, Charlotte is becoming an even more attractive destination for recent college grads who are looking to work in the city’s established financial sector, as well as for firms like Lending …
By Taylor Williams After months of disruption and uncertainty, commercial lenders throughout the country and the Northeast are eager to deploy funds, creating an environment in which borrowers are somewhat insulated from economic and geopolitical forces that threaten to derail the recovery. With interest rates still at historic lows and investors of all types looking to recoup returns unexpectedly lost to COVID-19, there is tremendous liquidity in the market. There’s also the simple fact that lenders are for-profit companies with expenses to cover. As the saying goes, if “they’re not lending money, they’re not making money,” and they’re losing market share. As a result, sources say, lenders are competing among themselves to finance deals. When lenders compete, borrowers win. “The overall level of capital flowing into the U.S. commercial real estate market is equal to or greater than where it was pre-pandemic,” says Matt Swerdlow, director of capital services at New York City-based intermediary Ariel Property Advisors. “Right now, there’s more capital than deals, so borrowers can get better spreads, higher proceeds or less structure just because the availability of capital is so broad.” “Despite the fact that we’re in a post-pandemic market, it’s heavy competition for deals, which has …
By Jeff Bender, Cushman & Wakefield Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky have the same logistical advantages they’ve always had, with their location within a day’s drive of two-thirds of the U.S. population, allowing reach and penetration to major metro areas. With those advantages, the region has enjoyed a robust industrial market, similar to most key markets in the country. Lessons learned from the pandemic, the pending opening of a nearly 1 million-square-foot e-commerce national air hub and growth of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG) will truly differentiate the market from an occupier’s perspective. What’s more, that increased demand and Cincinnati’s topographical constraints, creating new supply limitations, will continue to make it a darling of institutional investors. Quick delivery model Amazon’s presence and $1.5 billion investment near the airport and Cincinnati’s central location place it in a prime spot for fulfillment, a big demand driver over the next decade. For example, let’s say you need to buy or repair a laptop, smart phone, tablet or any other electronic device. The order for a new computer could be fulfilled the next day most anywhere in the world even if the order is placed late in the evening. With a repair, you box it …
By Dan Blackwell, Executive Vice President, CBRE Demand for multifamily properties in Orange County continues to show great strength. This is driven by steady rent collections and favorable interest rates as apartments in the region have performed well during the pandemic. As investors look to buy stable, income-producing assets in Southern California, the focus on the multifamily sector in our region has intensified. We have witnessed increasing interest from first-time buyers over the past few weeks, in addition to continued interest from 1031 exchange investors and those who sat on the sidelines during much of 2020. This demand is buoyed by willing lenders offering favorable interest rates in the low 3 percent range due to the area’s excellent rent collection track record. Most buyers are looking for 50 percent to 60 percent leverage, with in-place capitalization rates typically ranging between 3.75 percent and 4.25 percent, depending on location. However, given the limited supply, we are seeing buyers bid pricing higher and cap rates compressing for many assets. Private investors continue to be the predominate buyers, mainly driven by the need for diversification and a stable cash flow. We are receiving more requests from LA County investors that may have sold a multifamily …