Market Reports

By Doug Derrick, SIOR, managing broker, NAI El Paso The remarkable pace and volume of industrial growth that has defined the major markets of Texas over the past decade is making its way to El Paso, as evidenced by larger projects for marquee tenants and elevated levels of institutional capital targeting the market. The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the appeal of industrial assets of all varieties, crowding the space with capital sources, driving up prices and creating lower yields on new investments. This holds especially true in high-growth markets like Dallas and Austin, which is why institutional investors are beginning to target secondary markets like El Paso, where assets can be acquired at lower prices. El Paso is experiencing the same growth in e-commerce and online shopping as the rest of the country. This market also continues to benefit from international trade and manufacturing across the border, adding another unique form of demand for developers and owners in our border town. Over the past decade, the volume of El Paso’s exports has doubled, with much of those goods flowing to Mexico. We expect to see manufacturers continue to locate operations in markets other than China, which should increase demand for …

By Darlene Sullivan, partner, and Justin Raes, tax cunsultant, Popp Hutcheson PLLC While some commercial property types struggled to stay relevant in 2020, industrial real estate seemed supercharged by the pandemic. This year, tax assessors are likely to use strong investor and occupier demand for some industrial properties to support significantly higher assessments for all industrial real estate. They may see this as a solution to make up for value losses in the hospitality, retail and office sectors. That means industrial property owners should prepare for major assessment increases and begin building arguments to establish their properties’ true taxable value. E-commerce in Perspective If e-commerce was rising before 2020, it skyrocketed after the initial shock of the pandemic. The e-commerce share of total retail sales jumped to 16.1 percent at the end of the second quarter of 2020 from 11.8 percent in the first quarter and 10.8 percent a year earlier, according to the Census Bureau. As e-commerce grew, so too did industrial leasing demand, as online retailers secured spaces to process incoming goods and fulfill orders for shipment to consumers. The e-commerce operations driving the surge in demand brought with them a list of demands to serve their logistical …