Market Reports

Investors Take Notice as RGV Multifamily Market Emerges from Pandemic Lull

by Taylor Williams June 18, 2021

By Brad Frisby, associate, NAI Rio Grande Valley As the national economy and society as a whole move toward recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, multifamily investors of all varieties, eager to deploy capital into the space, are increasingly looking at markets in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). While the region’s multifamily investment market has unquestionably experienced its share of decreased activity over the past 15 months, deal volume and velocity have really picked back up through the first two quarters of 2021. Many investors that are targeting the RGV are banking on its solid fundamentals holding through the recovery and are eyeing deals with five- to 10-year holding strategies in mind. Although the RGV remains something of a seller’s market — many multifamily deals are trading at sub-6-percent cap rates — buyers are willing to pony up to be in this high-growth market. This holds especially true when one considers the RGV as an alternative to Dallas, Houston or Austin. But it’s precisely from those markets that we continue to see an influx of capital looking for multifamily deals. Prior to the pandemic, the annual combination of limited new deliveries and steady job growth in resilient industries like healthcare, education …

June 18, 2021

Industrial Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Office Ohio Retail

Toledo, Ohio Market Shows Stability in Various Areas

by Kristin Harlow June 17, 2021

By Harlan Reichle, Reichle Klein Group As the Toledo, Ohio, area’s retail market proved to be stable and solid in the second half of 2020 and the industrial market continued a remarkable stretch of high performance since the Great Recession, 2020 was a tough year for the office market. However, all three property types have yet to register any negative COVID impact in our latest survey results. Retail Toledo’s retail market proved to be quite stable and solid during the second half of 2020. Given the fraught last year along with the headlines and travails of retail stores, gyms and restaurants, the general public might find this result surprising, but it was clear to our retail leasing brokers since mid-summer 2020 that transaction activity was snapping back fairly quickly after the initial shock of the spring 2020 lockdowns. Our year-end 2020 market survey found overall market vacancy down from both the end of 2019 and mid-year 2020. The decline in anchor vacancy more than offset a small increase among inline spaces as the market absorbed 39,183 square feet of space in the last six months of the year. It is a nearly exact repeat of the market’s performance in the …

June 17, 2021

Industrial Market Reports New Mexico Western Western Market Reports

New Mexico is Primed for Industrial Growth

by Jeff Shaw June 16, 2021

By Tim With, Senior Vice President, Colliers The amount of empty space in New Mexico’s industrial market has shrunk to unforeseen levels. Albuquerque, the state’s largest MSA, reported a total of 41.5 million square feet of industrial space and only a 2.4 percent vacancy rate at the end of 2020. Absorption levels have increased through the first quarter of 2021, and available inventory is becoming difficult to find as the vacancy is down to 1.9 percent. Albuquerque has been on the brink of new construction for some time, with the need for new Class A space far outweighing the current availability. The nationwide industrial supply posted record deliveries in 2020 that totaled more than 300 million square feet. This represents about a 2 percent year-over-year increase in total inventory. In comparison, Albuquerque’s inventory grew by less than 1 percent over the past five years, while vacancy rates decreased by almost 550 basis points. Most new construction has been build-to-suit activity. Tenants, meanwhile, are challenged with a lack of choice as a considerable amount of the existing vacant space is functionally obsolete. The average overall asking lease rates for existing warehouse/distribution space was $6.58 per square foot, triple net, at the end of …

June 16, 2021

Market Reports New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports Retail

New York City Must Be A Leader in Reimagining Retail in the Post-Pandemic World

by Taylor Williams June 15, 2021

By James Nelson, principal, head of Tri-State investment sales, Avison Young It probably won’t be a shock to learn that in the aftermath of COVID-19, we are going to need to reimagine retail. Even before the pandemic hit, retail vacancy was becoming more prevalent throughout New York City. Now more than ever, landlords and retailers are going to need to think outside the box to fill vacancies and allow retailers to survive. A recent survey among members of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), which consists of landlords, tenants and service providers, found that 57 percent of retail professionals believe that the economy will improve over the course of the next year. That being said, 73 percent wanted to see businesses open again in their state. A key question involves when we could expect to return to the in-person conventions and events that our industry is known for. ICSC is famous for its annual conference in Las Vegas that draws over 30,000 people. It’s a chance to catch up with friends and business contacts in a fun setting while also being able to accomplish dozens of meetings over a few days, as everyone is in the same place. Industry …

June 15, 2021

Market Reports Maryland Multifamily Single-Family Rental Southeast Southeast Market Reports

Baltimore’s Stable Apartment Market Attracts New, Returning Buyers

by John Nelson June 14, 2021

Consistent with much of the nation, the Mid-Atlantic region locked down at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. However, by late August 2020 and throughout the first quarter of 2021, activity in the multifamily asset class picked up considerably. As operations stabilized and investors could better determine valuations, regional transaction volume quickly heated up as investors returned with pent-up demand. Aided in part by the continued government stimulus and rent regulation in the Mid-Atlantic, Baltimore’s durable “meds and eds” employment bases, anchored by the life sciences, medical, higher education and technology sectors, bolstered the region’s stability. The Baltimore multifamily market has performed in-line with comparable metropolitan areas in the Mid-Atlantic, with flat to moderate rent growth. Rents are expected to stagnate or struggle in response to heightened development occurring in Downtown Baltimore, Owings Mills and Towson, and the new supply may surpass demand in the near-term. Despite muted rent growth projections, transaction volume has returned with an expanded pool of multifamily investors, driving cap rates down and valuations up. Shifting east “Charm City” boasts blue-chip Downtown employers such as T. Rowe Price, Pandora, University of Maryland Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital and Under Armour. In theory, this …

June 14, 2021

Industrial Market Reports Texas Texas Market Reports

RGV Industrial Market Maintains Steady Growth, Draws Investors’ Attention

by Taylor Williams June 11, 2021

By Daniel Galvan, SIOR, principal, Coldwell Banker Commercial RGV The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) industrial market continues to be very active despite a small, temporary slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With single-digit vacancy rates in both Hidalgo and Cameron counties, absorption is holding at a steady pace as available space has declined. To that point, the market saw approximately 250,000 square feet of net absorption in 2020. Rents have also continued to increase modestly with elevated demand, rising approximately 5 percent in the first quarter of 2021 relative to that period in 2020. However, that rate of growth should slow a bit in the coming months given that the market is still fraught with uncertainty due to COVID-19. Despite this uncertainty, we typically see upcoming vacancies continue to be filled prior to actually becoming vacant. While the agriculture industry continues to be a very large driver of absorption in the RGV’s industrial sector, there are more deals than ever for users that focus on consumer goods and fulfillment. There has also been a large amount of growth in demand from third-party logistics (3PL) companies and manufacturers. These users ultimately accounted for about 200,000 square feet of positive absorption in …

June 11, 2021

Colorado Industrial Market Reports Western Western Market Reports

Industrial Leasing Activity Outpaces New Construction in Denver

by Jeff Shaw June 10, 2021

By Tyler Smith, Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield While the office and retail sectors in Denver continue to grapple with pandemic-related disruptions, the industrial sector remained the dominant performer within the commercial real estate market through the early part of 2021. The Denver industrial market recorded more than 718,000 square feet of positive net absorption, and nearly 3.8 million square feet of leasing activity during the first quarter of 2021. However, with metro-wide vacancy trending above the five-year average and 1.8 million square feet of speculative development delivering vacant during the first quarter of 2021, the discussion in the Denver market remains focused on whether industrial supply has begun to outstrip demand. The maturation of Denver’s industrial market has closely mirrored the city’s population growth over the past decade. Denver experienced a population boom of nearly 20 percent from 2010 to 2020. Fueled by the resulting uptick in consumer demand and increased economic diversification, Denver’s industrial inventory skyrocketed as well, growing by 19.4 percent during the same period. Since 2017 alone, over 22 million square feet of new development has delivered in the market. Despite robust leasing activity and nearly 10 years of uninterrupted positive net absorption, industrial vacancy in Denver has been …

June 10, 2021

Industrial Market Reports Midwest Midwest Market Reports Wisconsin

South Central Wisconsin’s Economic Engine Continues to Set the Pace

by Kristin Harlow June 10, 2021

By William Mears, Coldwell Banker Commercial McGuire Mears & Associates What a difference a decade makes. While some may characterize the evolution of the development and investment climate of the Janesville-Beloit, Wisconsin metropolitan statistical area (MSA) with a population of 160,120 as an extreme makeover, others will note the area has been South Central Wisconsin’s best kept secret. Case in point: the numbers speak for themselves, and local real estate and economic development officials are bullish on this location’s growth trajectory. For starters, the area’s logistical friendly environment, its value-add real estate and workforce assets and its seasoned development team provide the right ingredients to facilitate development opportunities. Since 2010, the Janesville-Beloit MSA has added more than 12 million square feet of commercial and industrial space. Recognized brands such as Amazon, Kerry Foods, Fairbanks Morse Defense, SHINE Medical Technologies and Prent Corp. represent a sampling of the area’s business community. These companies and their 3,500+ counterparts drive the area’s annual GDP figure, which is nearly $7 billion. Industrial and warehousing demands from end-users seeking to leverage critical supply chain inputs are continually impacting the county’s real estate market. As a result, industrial vacancy rates are hovering around 2 percent, and …

June 10, 2021

California Market Reports Multifamily Western Western Market Reports

Affordability, Jobs Drive Multifamily Residents to the High Desert

by Jeff Shaw June 9, 2021

By Bob Basen, Executive Vice President, Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate Solutions The High Desert’s multifamily market remained surprisingly strong during the pandemic. Historic low vacancies in the High Desert apartment market, combined with low cap rates in Los Angeles and Orange counties, have made this market a favorite for “down the hill” investors. With the exception of three substantial multifamily projects in Hesperia, there has been no real apartment development in the High Desert since the mid-2000s. The recently completed The Villas, a 96-unit, age-restricted project developed by Eagle Hesperia 55 LP, has had phenomenal success with a waiting list prior to completion. With the success of this project, there will be a second phase containing another 96 units. Frontier Homes’ Las Casitas Apartment Homes and the 200-unit West Main Villas, developed by Bruno Mancinelli, were also very successful with two-bedroom apartments renting for more than $1,600 per month. This is a number that was unheard of prior to these projects. With those kinds of rents, we can and should expect to see increased apartment development in the High Desert. Hesperia has decreased its development impact fees, which may have spurred the above-mentioned developments within that city. There are currently …

June 9, 2021

Industrial Market Reports New York Northeast Northeast Market Reports

New York City Industrial Market Held Strong in 2020, Has Promising 2021 Ahead

by Taylor Williams June 8, 2021

By Jakub Nowak, senior vice president investments, Marcus & Millichap Last year’s COVID-19 lockdown took a major toll on parts of New York City’s real estate market. The city’s industrial sector, however, fared relatively well compared with other asset classes. Although dollar volume for outright industrial sales transactions over $1 million fell by almost 25 percent from $1.75 billion in 2019 to $1.35 billion in 2020, the average price per square foot over the same period held flat at about $445 per square foot. Meanwhile, capitalization rates for industrial properties in 2020 continued their steady downward trajectory, compressing further from 4.7 to 4.4 percent on a year-over-year basis. Importantly, these 2020 sales numbers do not account for the $800 million-plus of institutional capital that poured into local industrial real estate by way of partial interest sales. Notable transactions included a joint venture between Hackman Capital and Square Mile Capital deploying just under $375 million for a majority interest in Queen’s Silver Cup Studios; GIC obtaining a 25 percent stake in Sunset Park’s Industry City for $330 million; and a joint venture between Madison Realty Capital, Meadow Partners and Acadia Realty acquiring a share of Sunset Park’s Liberty View Plaza for …

June 8, 2021

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