Omaha Industrial Market Dips Toe into Modern Speculative Development

By Kevin Stratman, CCIM, SIOR, Investors Realty Like many metropolitan areas, new construction has been the recent theme in Omaha’s industrial market. Since 2015, the Omaha market has delivered almost 5 million square feet of new flex, industrial and warehouse properties. This is significant, considering the market as a whole is only about 90 million square feet. Equally impressive, the market has kept the vacancy rate below 4 percent despite all this growth. A bulk of this development has …

November 19, 2020Industrial, Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Nebraska

Omaha’s Strong Multifamily Market Fundamentals Drive Investment Sales Activity

By Jason Kinnison, NorthMarq The Omaha multifamily market’s occupancy, rents and new construction activity remain stable despite the economic uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. As a solid Midwestern market, Omaha’s apartment sector remains strong due to its healthy market fundamentals, including a strong employment base and a highly educated workforce. Omaha boasts an approximate 94.9 percent occupancy rate and consistently has a steady supply of roughly 1,500 new units …

November 12, 2020Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Multifamily, Nebraska

Key Leasing Considerations for Commercial Landlords in the Age of Coronavirus

By Addison Fairchild, Baird Holm At its onset nearly nine months ago, the novel coronavirus forced federal, state and local leaders to consider measures necessary to prevent the virus’s inevitable spread. Those leaders imposed measures they calculated to balance minimizing the spread and harm of coronavirus to the national and local economies. Whether those measures were effective in achieving those goals is a question for another day. However, now that coronavirus is currently a part of …

November 5, 2020Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Nebraska, Office, Retail

Occupancy, Sales Per Square Foot Support Omaha Retail Scene

Over the past few decades, Omaha has grown in both size and reputation as a Midwest gem that offers affordable housing, a solid job market, excellent schools and a central location that makes both business and leisure travel a relative breeze. As our city has grown, our lifestyle has adapted, which has had an interesting impact on commercial real estate. While some developments are flourishing, others have been struggling. Overall, retail growth in Omaha is slow, but occupancy is robust in …

April 23, 2020Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Nebraska, Retail

Winning the Fight on Business Talent Erosion in Nebraska

Although an article on soil erosion might seem more fitting coming from Nebraska, the greater erosion concern for the Cornhusker State is retaining its young and talented workforce. Nebraska’s state education system ranks No. 6 in the country and its high school graduation rate ranks No. 4 in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. But Nebraska is faced with the dual challenge of retaining young, homegrown talent as well as attracting the next generation of talent from outside …

April 16, 2020Market Reports, Midwest, Midwest Market Reports, Nebraska

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