Western Market Reports

1212-W-Bannock-St-Boise-ID

— By Nellie Day — Boise was a hotspot of activity as the pandemic hit in 2020, with many people desiring more space, more access to the outdoors and, in some cases, a cheaper cost of living. Mike Erkmann, principal at NAI Select, fills WREB in on what the city and its commercial real estate landscape has been like since 2020. What are the notable trends occurring in Boise?  The most notable trend occurring in Boise continues to be the expansive population growth. Boise was the fifth fastest-growing city in the U.S. in 2022 and 2023. We are expected to see 37 percent population growth between 2022 and 2050, with a predicted total MSA population of 1.1 million people. On average, we are adding about 15,000 people annually, which will continue to rank Boise at the top for fastest-growing cities in the U.S. What challenges is this market facing?  Aside from the obvious challenges we are facing in the market, including higher interest rates and tougher lending requirements, we here in Idaho are facing a shortage of labor with the dramatic increases in the cost of living. Median sales prices in Boise have increased 78 percent over the past five years …

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— By Nellie Day — Santa Monica, Calif.-based BLT Enterprises has been an owner, investor, developer and manager of commercial properties since 1984. The firm has seen a lot of changes over that time, which means adaptability remains key to its strategy — and long-term survival.  One of the ways the firm is adapting to current market conditions is through the acquisition and operation of production studios and soundstages. The most recent data on usage and demand for these product types is from the year 2020. At this time, CBRE noted there was 11 million square feet of soundstage space in North America, with half of it being in Los Angeles. Speaking of 2020, the pandemic was also responsible for a 74 percent year-over-year increase in streaming video demand.  FilmLA’s 2020 Sound Stage Production Report also noted the industry maintained an average occupancy of 94 percent that year, with the report further showing television production increased 10 percent in 2020. For comparison, studio occupancy averaged 70 percent in 2017.  Though the world isn’t locked down the way it was in 2020, digital content demand shows no signs of slowing down. Consumers will spend an estimated $151 billion on technology services, …

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8300-N-Cornerstone-Dr-Hayden-ID

— By Karena Gilbert, Office and Investment Associate, Colliers — Idaho experienced significant population growth in recent years, and the commercial real estate market reflected that trend. The pace of growth has begun to slow, although overall growth is expected to increase over the next decade.  The growth brought both business and talent to the state as the Boise MSA continues to maintain a healthy office market. Second-quarter vacancy sits at 7 percent, up from 6.1 percent in the first quarter and outperforming the national vacancy rate, which stands at 16.4 percent. The Boise MSA has experienced an 18.5 percent job growth over a five-year period compared to the national growth level of 3.4 percent.  Despite these promising stats, Idaho is not immune to the economic turbulence being felt on a national level. With interest rates rising and market uncertainty, some buyers have become more cautious while others still actively seek opportunity. Cap rates have increased from 5.1 percent in the second quarter of 2022 to between 5.5 percent and 6.5 percent in the second quarter of 2023. Office lease absorption is down, though we’re still seeing a lot of interest in Boise. Micron, a $66 billion semiconductor company founded …

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Woodbridge-Square-Medical-Irvine-CA.jpg

— By John Wadsworth and Aaron Phillip, Colliers — The Orange County medical office building (MOB) market continues to show resilience post-pandemic despite headwinds of the new interest rate environment. The overall Orange County MOB market consists of 10 million square feet with a current vacancy of 8.5 percent, down 100 basis points from the end of 2022. The average rental rate is $3.48 per square foot, per month, full-service growth, with an increase of 9.3 percent from mid-year 2022. The lack of significant MOB construction completions, coupled with much of the existing vacancy found in older, functionally obsolete buildings, has kept supply largely in line with demand.  The velocity of MOB leasing activity has softened compared to pre-pandemic transaction volume, with healthcare providers still digging out of the financial “COVID hole.” Among other market pressures, labor costs and retention across healthcare employment significantly contribute to continued narrow margins on provider balance sheets. From larger health systems to smaller independent practices, all have been impacted, slowing the pace of expansion projects and mandating shorter, more flexible transactions until more permanent real estate solutions can be implemented. Despite the market challenges posed by the pandemic, MOB absorption has remained positive countywide, …

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Gateway-Marketplace_Meridian-Idaho

— By Andrea Nilson, Executive Director of Retail and Capital Markets, Cushman & Wakefield — National attention has been focused on the business growth, expansion and innovation in the Mountain West region in recent years — and Boise continues to be the region’s bright spot.  Recognized as one of the best places to live and work due to its educated population and outdoor lifestyle, the area remains at to top of retailers’ site selection lists.  Boise has also become a city of choice for restaurants, which has pushed the market to a new level of maturity and refinement. A strong blend of national chains, as well as regional and local restauranteurs, are anchoring several of the large, high-density apartment developments downtown, making this core truly unique and vibrant.    The retail market remains on an upward trajectory based on key indicators. Low levels of speculative construction and strong demand will likely contribute to lower vacancy and higher rents for the remainder of 2023. Demand has outpaced supply by 30 percent over the previous 15 months. Boise was ranked No. 3 in annual population growth nationwide at 2.2 percent. It is projected to increase further, while its economy expanded at a rate of 3.4 …

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2316-W-Franklin-Rd-Meridian-ID

— By Dan Minnaert, Partner and Industrial Specialist, TOK Commercial Real Estate — Industrial leasing activity has slowed year over year in Southern Idaho markets with total transactions down 9 percent. However, all markets saw transactions increase or remain flat from the first quarter to the second quarter. Net absorption has also remained positive in all markets throughout the first half of 2023. Activity is strongest in the Boise MSA with nearly 900,000 square feet of net absorption recording so far this year. Top deals for the year include Ferguson Enterprises leasing 164,600 square feet of new construction in Nampa, and Hensel Phelps Construction leasing 92,900 square feet at 535 Gowen in South Boise.   Demand remains strongest for spaces in the 1,000- to 5,000-square-foot range, accounting for 51 percent of deals over the past 12 months. However, absorbed spaces above 15,000 square feet have increased 15 percent year over year. In addition, organic growth is the top driver for leasing activity considering 30 percent of deals over the past year were attributed to tenants opening additional locations or expanding. Additional new industrial tenants are expected to enter Southern Idaho, most notably in the Boise MSA as new projects such …

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Canyon-Ridge-Boise-ID

— By Colton Yasinski, Investment Sales Advsor, Capstone Cos. — The multifamily market in Idaho and, specifically, Boise, has experienced an impressive surge over the past five years. This has largely been fueled by the impact of COVID and the attractiveness of Idaho living. The result has been an unprecedented demand for multifamily housing, triggering a development boom that has reshaped the market landscape. In the past year alone, Boise has seen the delivery of 4,000 multifamily units with numerous ongoing construction projects. The city’s rapid population growth and robust housing demand has attracted institutional capital, leading to tighter cap rates similar to larger metropolitan areas. Pioneering developers have recognized the potential in Idaho’s market and entered the scene alongside local development groups. Among them are prominent names like Lincoln Property Company, Alliance Residential Company, Woodside Homes, Morgan Stonehill, American Homes 4 Rent and others shaping the multifamily landscape.  However, amidst this growth, market dynamics have started to shift. Over the past year, multifamily sales in Boise have declined by more than 70 percent, accompanied by rising cap rates due to fluctuations in the capital markets. The surge in new units has transitioned the market from favoring landlords to becoming …

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— By Gabe Kadosh, Vice President at Colliers in Los Angeles — Retail leasing activity in Los Angeles is robust. Demand is particularly strong in the home/furniture industries. The quick-service restaurant segment is another one that continues to grow, with a large uptick in demand for drive-thru accommodations. Now, for the good news — or bad news, depending on whether you’re a landlord or tenant. Los Angeles remains a tenant market. There is currently too much available retail space. Oftentimes, retail tenants can simply go across the street if they find a particular landlord’s rent — or lease terms — unfavorable.  The current vacancy rate for retail in Greater Los Angeles stands at about 6 percent. Significant concessions and incentives are being offered in various regions of Los Angeles. Downtown Los Angeles is seeing the largest number of concessions. That’s because the office market has been shuttered so dramatically, thanks to the pandemic and the work-from-home trend that just won’t go away. This has caused some Downtown mixed-use office and retail landlords to offer base CAM or even no rent just to keep the doors open. In other cases, some retail tenants only pay a percentage of sales with no …

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7402-7410-SE-Johnson-Creek-Blvd-Portland-OR

— By Kenny Houser and Mike Hale, Principals, Capacity Commercial — The industrial real estate sector has experienced a noticeable deceleration with a decline in leasing and sales activities. This trend is particularly evident in Portland where commercial property sales transactions have been steadily decreasing. There was a quarter-over-quarter decline of almost 29 percent in the second quarter of 2023, resulting in a sales volume of $3.4 billion, the lowest recorded since late 2014. The Federal Reserve’s decision to pause its rate hike campaign in response to inflation concerns has impacted the market. With borrowing costs fluctuating, the disparity between buyer and seller expectations has created challenges in determining agreeable property valuations. Simultaneously, leasing activity has also slowed, indicating a return to normalcy in Portland’s industrial market. Total deal volume in the first quarter of this year reached about 1.7 million square feet, a 35 percent decrease compared to the average of 2.6 million square feet per quarter over the previous two years. Despite the slowdown in leasing, the limited amount of industrial space under construction in Portland is expected to maintain a balance between supply and demand. The current construction activity accounts for 1.1 percent of the total inventory, …

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— By Christopher J. Destino, Principal, Lee & Associates — The geographic area along the border of Los Angeles and Orange County is locally known as the Mid Counties market. This region currently boasts about 130 million square feet of industrial real estate, thanks to its prime location. This is a location that’s only 25 miles from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, and 20 miles from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  Like many other parts of the U.S., Mid Counties has begun to see the effects of continued economic uncertainty and a rising interest rate environment. It faces challenges like land scarcity and limited newly constructed buildings to accommodate the growing demand.  Thankfully, this area still typically delivers 200,000 to 500,000 square feet of new construction annually (2018 was abnormally high with about 2 million square feet added).   One recent deal worth noting is the 94,000-square-foot, Class A industrial distribution building in Santa Fe Springs from Panattoni that leased to BeBella Cosmetics for $2.05 per square foot net per month with an option to purchase at $577 per square foot.  Another new development example is the 146,617-square-foot building that Duke Realty developed and leased to Weee!, a …

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