Property Type

After years atop the commercial real estate food chain, the multifamily sector remains the darling of the commercial real estate investment world, according to Integra Realty Resources (IRR). In its annual Viewpoint study, the commercial real estate valuation, consulting and advisory firm reports that 95 percent of the major U.S. markets it tracks are currently in the expansionary phase of the real estate life cycle. In the expansionary phase, 95 percent of U.S. metros are experiencing decreasing vacancy rates, moderate-to-high new construction, high absorption, moderate-to-high employment growth and medium-to-high rental rate growth. One of the many multifamily markets in that category is Miami. “Miami is definitely in an expansion phase because we’re building new product. There are 2,500 units under construction in downtown Miami and about 7,000 units county-wide under construction,” says Anthony Graziano, senior managing director of IRR – Miami/Palm Beach. Graziano has been with IRR since its inception in 1999. “The new construction, coupled with sub-5 percent vacancies and rent growth at 8 to 12 percent annually — that puts us in the expansion phase.” Miami is ahead of the national average in several statistical categories, such as Class A and B vacancy rates and rental rate growth. …