Western Market Reports

E-Commerce, Advanced Manufacturing Attract Capital to Reno

by Taylor Williams June 12, 2018

Industrial sales and leasing in the Reno-Sparks area remains one of the best performing sectors in the marketplace, just as it did in 2017. With a record vacancy percentage below 4 percent, combined with new buildings being occupied upon completion, the strong demand for new and existing industrial product is a welcome normality from previous years. The North Valley’s submarket has been the dominant center point for speculative development. It is currently the fastest-growing submarket in Reno, as nearly 50 percent of the transactions containing more than 50,000 square feet were concentrated in this submarket. This is primarily attributed to the abundance of skilled labor in the area and proximity to Interstate 80. Developers continue their hunt for buildable land in the area, though the availability of readily developable parcels is dwindling. Driven by consumer shifts toward internet goods, along with burgeoning advanced manufacturing, capital from institutional and regional investors alike have entered Reno’s industrial market. This has led to the industrial market posting the largest volume and most competitive assets. Last year’s investment volume was up 90 percent year over year, with a 14 percent increase in the total number of sales. The most recent eye-opener was Blockchains’ acquisition …

June 12, 2018

Market Reports Nevada Office Western Western Market Reports

Reno’s Office Market Successfully Rebounds From The Great Recession

by Taylor Williams June 5, 2018

I have had the pleasure of selling commercial office space in Northern Nevada for nearly 15 years. During this time, I saw the peak of the market from 2003 to 2008 wherein construction was at an all-time high, lease rates were reaching unseen heights and absorption was setting records. Then we all got to experience the Great Recession from 2008 through 2012. This saw nearly half of the buildings that were constructed during the previous peak become empty. Vacancy rates hit 20 percent, lease rates dropped to levels well below where they were in 2003, and construction came to a screeching halt. Then, magically, at the beginning of 2013 the economy took a turn and the Northern Nevada office market began its recovery. This was expedited in 2014 with Tesla making its announcement of the Gigafactory in the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center and the Tesla Effect created a national buzz that hasn’t slowed. Unfortunately, this has created a new problem. The Reno office market sits at 10.1 percent vacancy, down from 20.7 percent during the recession, as net absorption has been positive year over year since 2012. The absorption has been primarily in second-generation space as there has been relatively …

June 5, 2018

California Market Reports Multifamily Western Western Market Reports

Apartment Values Continue to Climb in Orange County

by Camren Skelton August 22, 2017

Orange County’s well-diversified and growing economy, coupled with its high quality of life, attract residents nationally and internationally to the region. Prohibitive home pricing also intensifies the high barrier to home ownership, further supporting overall apartment fundamentals in the Orange County market. Developers are targeting urban centers where they can transform the areas with Class A rentals. Anaheim’s Platinum Triangle, the Disney Resort, Convention Center Complex and surrounding area are undergoing an infusion of more than $5 billion that is redefining the area as a highly urbanized residential, entertainment and business hub. A similar transformation is happening at the Irvine Business Complex (IBC). In addition to these clusters, about 19,000 units are scheduled to come online over the next few years, particularly in the Class A product category. Rents in Orange County rose 4.8 percent year-over-year through January, outpacing the 4.6 percent national growth rate. Renter demand remains elevated, fueled by a rapidly expanding economy and population gains. Large companies and startups alike are drawn to the market’s highly educated workforce as nearly 25 percent of residents have at least a bachelor’s degree. This reinforces the foundation for the multifamily sector’s rent growth in both “renter by necessity” (students/young professionals/blue-collar/subsidized …

August 22, 2017

Hawaii Market Reports Office Western Western Market Reports

Competition Increases for Hawaii’s Office Space

by Camren Skelton August 15, 2017

Hawaii’s office market is dominated by Honolulu, which is home to 70 percent of the state’s population and commerce. More than 90 percent of the state’s 12 million square feet of multi-tenant Class A and B office space is located in Honolulu, with nearly 80 percent of Honolulu’s inventory situated in the four-mile stretch between the Central Business District and Waikiki. Hawaii’s office tenants are primarily in industries that support tourism, military, construction and government – Hawaii’s economic drivers. These include FIRE (Finance, Insurance, Real Estate), plus legal, CPAs, architects, engineers and contractors. Hawaii also has a small but growing innovation economy that has spawned several co-working centers, incubators and impact investment firms backed by the University of Hawaii. These names include Lauren Powell Jobs (widow of Steve Jobs), Pierre Omidyar (founder of eBay) and Henk Rogers (Tetris). Larry Ellison purchased 97 percent of the Island of Lanai in 2012 for $300 million and could join the list of tech billionaires interested in supporting Hawaii’s innovation economy. Hawaii has seen slow but steady job growth in office-using businesses, but the drive to reduce square feet per office worker and the related cost savings has resulted in a net loss of …

August 15, 2017

California Market Reports Office Western Western Market Reports

OC Spec Office Development Signals Post Recession Recovery

by Camren Skelton August 8, 2017

Orange County’s innovative office economy continues to be supported by healthy underlying demand drivers. Tech, financial and business services companies continue to provide a strong employment base that was not readily present during the last cycle. Major colleges and universities such as Chapman and UC Irvine provide a steady pool of job-seeking professionals. The climate, lifestyle and general quality of life also continues to attract top employment talent from across the country. Office vacancy is trending downward with rental rates increasing beyond pre-recession levels. As the health of the office market solidifies, notable developers like the Irvine Company, Trammell Crow Co. and Lincoln Property have recently commenced or completed construction on formidable office projects. These new office projects are noteworthy in that they were started on a speculative basis. This is a new trend in the market that would have been unheard of less than three years ago. This is a strong indication of the increased confidence by lenders, equity sources and developers in the Orange County office market’s recovery. Irvine Company has become the dominant source of speculative development due to considerable new development. This company was ahead of the spec curve when it built the first sizeable inventory …

August 8, 2017

Hawaii Market Reports Retail Western Western Market Reports

Hawaii: Ground-Up Shopping Centers on Rise Despite High Construction Costs

by Camren Skelton August 1, 2017

Construction costs in Hawaii are beginning to plateau after seeing year-over-year increases for the past several years. The market has seen gray shell retail building costs of about $275 per square foot; and to vanilla shell, another $80 per square foot to $100. Restaurants range from $300 per square foot to $350 to take them from gray to finished shell without fixtures. Remarkably, even with escalating construction costs, retail leasing and development are both extremely active. This, combined with retail vacancy of about 3 percent and record rents, has spurred a wave of new projects. Some of the new retail projects currently under construction are: Kilauea Lighthouse Village, Kilauea Town, Kauai — The center is a 47,000-square-foot development anchored by a 10,000-square-foot Market at Kilauea. Construction on Kilauea Lighthouse Village has begun and is expected to be complete in late 2017. It is owned by Hunt Development and leased by Colliers International. Kahala Bowl Shopping Center, Honolulu – Anchored by McDonald’s, the 10,000-square-foot center is owned by Kamehameha Schools and leased by JLL. Kealanani Shopping Center, Kapolei — This 20,000-square-foot center, anchored by Panda Express, is an outparcel of the Walmart in Kapolei. It is owned by Panda RG Inc. …

August 1, 2017

Market Reports Multifamily Washington Western Western Market Reports

Tech Growth Fuels Apartment Market All Around Puget Sound

by Camren Skelton July 25, 2017

From the hottest commercial submarkets, such as Downtown Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood, to far-flung suburbs like Lynnwood, the Puget Sound multifamily market has been firing on all cylinders lately. A major reason for this is the huge growth in tech employment throughout the Puget Sound region. Tech employment in the region has grown almost 87 percent since 2001, and more than 80 tech-based companies have opened engineering offices in Seattle in the past five years. Demand for engineering and creative talent has pushed salaries up. Salaries for tech workers in Seattle are 9 percent higher than the national average. Seattle offers the highest salaries in the nation for positions like vice president of engineering ($253,488) and director of product ($228,482). Demand for talent is also having a major impact on demand for apartments. In South Lake Union, where vacancy is 3.5 percent, demand among renters for apartment units continues to be strong. This is driving tremendous interest among multifamily investors. Newly built, high-quality properties like the 282-unit Radius apartment community lease up very quickly. A joint venture between Kennedy Wilson and Lefrak purchased the just-completed asset in February for $141 million. Radius is a prime example of the quality …

July 25, 2017

California Market Reports Multifamily Western Western Market Reports

L.A. County Apartment Sector is Feeling the Pressure From Buyers, Renters

by Camren Skelton July 18, 2017

Los Angeles County is facing a significant lack of housing product — an issue that can’t be resolved any time soon. With the fight to limit new development, it is a very uphill and challenging battle that is unfortunate for the economy, business and, most of all, residents. An influx of about 160,000 new residents moved to the county from 2010 through 2015, but we have only seen upwards of 25,000 new housing units built during that same time frame. The demand drivers are extremely significant for new housing, but supply constraints like zoning and regulations are preventing an adequate supply. Additionally, with an unemployment rate currently at a historical low of about 4 percent, projections for housing demand over the next decade all point to a severe shortage in this growing region. Despite all the news about companies moving out of state to enjoy less expensive business costs as well as more affordable housing for their employees, this region, along with California as a whole, continues to see a population increase. Even with all this being said, the multifamily sector has and will continue to be the darling of the commercial real estate industry as it’s fueled by a …

July 18, 2017

Market Reports Retail Washington Western Western Market Reports

The Changing Face Of Puget Sound Retail

by Camren Skelton July 11, 2017

The Puget Sound region is one of the fastest growing areas in the U.S. We are seeing that reflected in the retail landscape, with innovation and expansion throughout the area. We are at the forefront of retail evolution, thanks to having some of the best-known retail innovators in our back yard who have turned the world of retail upside down by giving every consumer access to virtually every product available via home delivery. And yet, they are also innovating into brick and mortar experiences. Retailers are continually looking for ways to improve the consumer experience, not only through product offerings, but in forward-thinking store concepts that focus on experience and social community. REI’s focus is providing quality outdoor products at approachable price points in an interactive environment. While the most active/desirable retail areas (based on sales per square foot potential and residential and daytime populations) are the CBD, South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, University Village and downtown Bellevue, the demand for quality/value, experience, fitness and food remain consistent trends in the market. Nordstrom Rack has been expanding throughout the U.S. and will soon be opening a new store in Bellevue’s Phase II at Lincoln Square to meet this desire for …

July 11, 2017

California Industrial Market Reports Western Western Market Reports

L.A. Industrial Boasts High Demand and Creative Solutions

by Camren Skelton July 4, 2017

With limited inventory and historically high values and rental rates, it’s safe to say the Los Angeles industrial market is enjoying an all-time high. There are several factors contributing to ongoing strength in the market, including a healthy appetite for acquisitions, strong tenant activity and creative solutions to adapt to supply constraints and maximize ROI. Industrial buyers continue to be active in Los Angeles, even with tightening availability and compressing cap rates. The fact is, there is still tremendous value to be found in this gateway city. Interest rates remain low, and those looking to acquire properties know that the sooner they buy, the better. Conversely, sellers are not especially eager to dispose of properties in the current market, based primarily on the challenge in finding acquisition-worthy assets. Specifically, owners seeking 1031 exchanges are finding it increasingly difficult to identify properties to trade into. That said, values are high enough that some owners are selling and choosing to simply pay taxes on capital gains or look to other markets for product to acquire. For example, Daum recently helped a seller dispose of a property in Los Angeles and reinvest those funds into an asset in Cleveland, Ohio, at a 7 …

July 4, 2017

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