NYC Retail Market Embraces Hard Change on the Fly

By Kristin Hiller and Taylor Williams Retail and restaurant reopenings this fall gave a modest boost to the New York City retail market in the third quarter. But even with the easing of some operational restrictions, business activity remains diminished in a city known for its hustle and bustle. Both retail tenants and landlords have had to regroup and quickly adapt to the curveballs thrown at them by COVID-19 over the past nine months. While retail and restaurant users in some areas are …

January 12, 2021Market Reports, New York, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, Retail

Expanded Rent Stabilization Law Freezes NYC Stabilized Multifamily Property Market, Generates Buying Opportunities for Intrepid Investors

New York state authorities last year passed legislation designed to maintain rental affordability and housing stability in the Empire State. Mandated changes for units not currently subject to stabilization were mostly technical in nature — relating to rent increase notification periods, evictions and security deposits — but the impact on the New York City’s nearly 1 million regulated units was significant. Previously, an owner’s ability to raise stabilized unit rents was limited by a …

February 21, 2020Content Partner, Features, Lument, Market Reports, Multifamily, New York, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, RED Capital Group

Savvy Retailers ‘Recalibrate’ in New York City

Manhattan has long been one of the most competitive retail markets in the country due to two characteristics of its population: an incredible density and high incomes among residents and workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average weekly wage of Manhattan’s private sector workforce was $3,153 in the first quarter of 2019, much higher than the national average of $1,184 per week. In addition to its residential base, tourism plays a strong role in Manhattan’s retail …

February 5, 2020Market Reports, New York, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, Retail

Investors Like Fairfield, Westchester Counties

With a unemployment rate of 3.9 percent, strong demographics, transportation that provides direct access to New York City and a highly skilled workforce, Westchester County is seeing steady investor interest across all major property types. We have seen significant interest from institutional investors, including pension fund advisors, insurance companies and REITs. This same buyer class has continued to underwrite increased rent growth in the more urban markets of Westchester County — …

January 8, 2020Connecticut, Market Reports, New York, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports

Brooklyn and Queens: Worthy Alternatives to Overpriced Manhattan Office Market?

New York City is one of the priciest office markets in the world, with Manhattan housing the core business district of the city. The borough has always been the place to be — the ultimate live-work-play destination that houses the big corporations and the talent that recruiters look for. Overall, office asking rents in Manhattan fell only slightly during the third quarter to $74 per square foot, per Cushman & Wakefield, while rents in some submarkets continued to rise. In highly …

December 13, 2019Market Reports, New York, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, Office

Price Escalation in Other Asset Classes Pushes Investors Toward NYC Retail

The value proposition for retail investment in New York City is reaching new highs amid an arguably overvalued office market and a multifamily market that continues to grapple with onerous new regulations. Rapid price escalations in both of these sectors have played an integral role in spurring additional investor demand for retail as of late. Analysis of Avison Young’s third-quarter property sales report for Manhattan revealed a rare opportunity, as the average price per square foot for …

December 11, 2019Market Reports, New York, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, Retail

Developers Adapt to Tight Office Market in Northeast

Office vacancies are falling across the big metros of the Northeast as robust user demand outpaces the supply of new construction. Deliveries in the last year have primarily been limited to Class A, build-to-suit properties and mixed-use developments. Meanwhile, office tenants are seeking high-end amenities at favorable prices. Nationally, the office vacancy rate stood at 16.8 percent in the second quarter, up slightly from 16.6 percent a year ago, according to real estate research firm Reis. …

December 4, 2019Market Reports, Massachusetts, New York, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, Office, Pennsylvania

Industrial Development Shifts Westward From Port

Demand for industrial space is roaring throughout the submarkets surrounding the Port of New York and New Jersey, propelled by the port’s handling of a record amount of cargo thus far in 2019. As a result of the healthy demand, as well as more product coming in and out of the port, landlords are enjoying positive rent growth accentuated by a limited supply of quality industrial space. The port experienced record growth in cargo volume handled during the first six months of 2019, according …

October 2, 2019Industrial, Market Reports, New Jersey, New York, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports

Retail Rent Picture Varies Greatly Across New York City Submarkets

Retail leasing activity across New York City accelerated during the second quarter of 2019, but the market continues to see vast discrepancies in supply-demand balances across various submarkets. In certain parts of Manhattan, year-over-year asking rents declined by double-digit percentages, according to the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) Spring 2019 Report. Midtown East, for example, saw its average asking rent drop by 22 percent from $3,900 per square foot to $3,050 per square foot …

August 21, 2019Market Reports, New York, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports, Retail

NYC Multifamily Investors Pivot to Find New Opportunities After Rent Reform Laws

On June 14th, the New York State legislature passed a series of stringent rent regulation reforms. The laws damaged property owners’ means of making money by strengthening tenant protections, capping rent increases and keeping units permanently stabilized. A quick Google search will explain the specifics regarding IAIs, J51s, eviction, buyouts, vacancy bonus and decontrol. In short, landlords will face rising taxes, higher water and sewer bills and elevated construction costs with no …

August 14, 2019Market Reports, Multifamily, New York, Northeast, Northeast Market Reports