Cornhusker State Has a Knack for Mixed-Use Projects

The term “mixed-use” appears to be all the rage, possibly a victim of its own success. A similar phenomenon occurred in the retail world with the introduction of the term “lifestyle center.” As a concept grows in popularity there is the natural inclination to capitalize on the movement, which can ultimately lead to watering down the concept. However, despite a trend toward reducing the term “mixed-use” to its lowest common denominator, namely having two different product types, …

June 27, 2019Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Mixed-Use, Nebraska

Omaha Undergoing ‘Remarkable’ Downtown Transformation

Remarkable. It’s the word that continues to pop up in interviews and conversations relating to the present transformation occurring in Omaha’s downtown area. If you think you might be experiencing déjà vu, it’s likely because you are. After all, it wasn’t that long ago when the same word was being used to describe the transformation that took place in downtown Omaha 10 to 15 years ago. It was at that time that approximately $2.5 billion was invested in Omaha’s downtown through a …

April 25, 2019Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Mixed-Use, Nebraska

Apartments Lead the Way in Omaha’s Real Estate Market

Omaha’s apartment market continues to be fundamentally strong and attractive to national and regional investors. According to Reis, Omaha’s asking rental rates have increased in every quarter over the past eight years, and vacancy remains low at 5.6 percent as of the end of 2018. Historically Omaha has had low vacancy. The 4.6 percent average vacancy rate over the past decade and 4.4 percent over the past five years is in line with the five-year national average of 4.5 percent. Looking …

April 18, 2019Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Multifamily, Nebraska

National, Regional Investors Are Drawn to Omaha’s Apartment Market

With asking rental rates increasing, an average vacancy rate of 5.7 percent and a low average asking rent per unit of just $855 per month, Omaha’s apartment market is increasingly attractive to national and regional investors. According to apartment research firm Reis, Omaha’s average asking rental rate has increased in every quarter for the past seven years, and is expected to increase by another 2.2 percent in 2018. While not stellar growth, it continues a steady march upward that …

April 26, 2018Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Multifamily, Nebraska

How the Omaha Retail Market Is Adapting to Big Box Store Closures

The pace of evolution in the retail sector is accelerating in a manner that few would have anticipated even five years ago. E-commerce has proven to be a very powerful disruptor, affecting both retailers and property owners alike. For some who have had the foresight and financial resources to adapt to this change, the disruption has brought opportunities for growth and increased market share. Clearly, not all have been able to adapt — some due to lack of execution and others seemingly …

April 19, 2018Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Nebraska, Retail

Why Omaha Multifamily Market Is Golden for Investor Opportunities

The national love affair with the multifamily sector may be starting to cool, but the Omaha market is just coming of age and heating up. “Overall, it was a strong third quarter, which was a nice surprise,”said Michael Cohen, CoStar Group director of advisory services, during his State of the Multifamily Market Third Quarter Review and Outlook on Nov. 1. “We’re still in the golden age for multifamily, but we're seeing signs of a gradual slowdown in the apartment market.” [caption …

December 14, 2017Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Multifamily, Nebraska

New Construction Starts, Low Vacancies Further Omaha’s Industrial Success

Similar to the past couple of years, it is difficult to identify one or two items to highlight about the Omaha industrial market. Although the most impressive improvement might be the amount of new construction starts in 2016, factors such as sales prices per square foot, number of overall transactions, average asking rents, vacancy rates, landlord concessions all trended in a favorable direction for owners of industrial properties. This has been a staggering year- over-year trend, which has …

May 4, 2017Industrial, Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Nebraska

Omaha’s Strong Apartment Fundamentals Draw National Attention of Investors

With an average occupancy rate of 96 percent at the end of 2016, coupled with a four percent growth in asking rental rates during 2016, Omaha’s apartment market continues to be a strong performer. According to apartment data research firm Reis, Omaha’s average asking rental rate has increased in every quarter for the past 23 quarters, and is expected to increase 3.6 percent in 2017. On the occupancy front, Reis expects the vacancy rate to finish 2017 slightly higher at 4.9 percent, which …

April 27, 2017Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Multifamily, Nebraska

Why Omaha Apartment Owners Should Expect Another Banner Year

With a three-year average occupancy of 96 percent, Omaha’s apartment market has displayed strong fundamentals that we expect to continue this year and beyond. Given the strong tailwinds created by Omaha’s healthy economy — the local unemployment rate stood at 3.6 percent in January compared with 4.9 percent nationally — it is not surprising that occupancy is high, rents and revenues are rising and new developments continue. According to the recently released IREM fall 2015 Omaha …

April 21, 2016Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Multifamily, Nebraska

Omaha’s Thriving Industrial Market Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

It is difficult to find one aspect of the Omaha industrial market to highlight when recapping 2015. Quite frankly, about every single facet of the market improved last year: sale prices ticked up, land prices rose, absorption was positive, the vacancy rate was low, asking rental rates climbed, and there was plenty of new construction. There are no signs of this momentum slowing. What is even more telling is the steady trend in the same direction — the market has shown signs of improvement …

April 7, 2016Industrial, Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Nebraska