Need a quick way to evaluate commercial real estate
and connect with your clients?

A RealLaunch Tool will save you time!

Commercial Real Estate News for Friday, Dec. 9

Happy Friday! We hope you enjoy your weekend, but before you go, take a look at these three articles on commercial real estate,

The Growing Impact of Wireless Accessibility on Property Values

Less bars, means less deals. Poor wireless connectivity is a growing reason behind some commercial property’s high tenant turnover rate. This article lays out some of the ways you can provide your tenants with a better signal.

Don’t Write Off REITs, Especially This Unsexy Sector

They aren’t pretty, but right now the demand for commercial warehouse space is far ahead of the supply, and rents are lucrative because of it. Much of the growth is tied to the continually growing boom of e-commerce.

8 Reasons Why Commercial Real Estate Investing Still Pays

Origin Investments is optimistic that commercial real estate will continue to offer substantial returns. Reasons for their sunny outlook include continued job growth, higher office rents and the stability of multifamily units.

How to Identify Hot Commercial Real Estate Markets

One way to identify a potential investment location which is on the precipice of rapid value increase is to understand where gentrification has recently started.

Gentrification is “a process of renovation and revival of deteriorated urban neighborhoods by means of influx of more affluent residents” and can be an excellent signal for investment opportunities.

One must only look at places where former “rough and tumble” neighborhoods have emerged as valuable investment locations—Brooklyn and Oakland come to mind as early examples—to understand that this process has many signals which, to the discerning investor, can lead to very profitable investments.

According to Governing Magazine’s editors, the neighborhoods that have now been gentrified, are the ones where the number of college-educated residents and home values have increased at a rate that’s in the top third percentile of the city.

As consumer preferences change, the linkages between commercial real estate and residential are becoming more manifest. The increased desirability of urban villages, mixed use buildings, and the general move back into city centers has caused a shift in development planning and implementation.  

Often, in a location that is undergoing gentrification, you’ll see a short supply of homes on the market and at first, limited new construction. So, what are some signs that gentrification is in its nascent stage?

They’re close to high end or “nice” neighborhoods

Examples of the gentrification phenomenon can be found in many rapidly growing cities. Neighborhoods such as Seattle’s Rainier Beach, San Francisco’s Mission District, South Boston or “Southie”, or Washington DC’s Anacostia, Deanwood and Columbia Heights are all changing as new, more affluent residents are moving in and demanding new services and updated buildings.

In many cases, these areas are adjacent to wealthy or long standing “desirable” neighborhoods and the spillover demand is driving growth in the area. Look for rezoning, as this is the clearest indication of increasing population. In addition, places that are being rezoned will often have more flexible zoning or “floating zones” and planned development districts, which are alternatives to traditional zoning and give municipalities and developers greater flexibility by emphasizing general goals instead of strict regulatory requirements.

Artist’s call the place home

artist

A thriving arts community is a surefire sign of a “hip” neighborhood. Artists typically choose a life of creativity and vision over a more traditional 9-5, money-centric lifestyle. However, their patrons and the consumers of their art are generally those who have a good aesthetic sense, the means to consume art, and these neighborhoods are generally more affordable.

The character artists bring to an area is a natural precursor to a growing and vibrant neighborhood, and these areas often evolve into prized housing markets. A great place to make investments.

Houses sell quickly

As days on the market (DOM) decrease, you can understand quickly that an area is increasing in value, and potential investment opportunities abound. Implementing your own, or utilizing a 3rd party help to monitor markets can help you identify trends.

As the housing supply dwindles, you can see that demand for retail and other amenities will go up. This would be an opportunity to start working on zoning proposals with your local municipal planning department and to consider adding in mixed use commercial and residential developments.

Retail is on the rise

starbucks

If you’re noticing a lot of new restaurants, bars, and coffee shops moving into an area, you can see that the identity of the neighborhood is changing. Follow the big players. If Starbucks is setting up shop, you can bet that they’ve done their homework. Major retailers have the resources to identify trends and spend a lot of time examining new areas for stores.

This has also been called the “Starbuck’s Effect.”

Easy access to public transit or arterials

If people can easily get to work, they’re happier to live in a certain area. Whether this means access to public transportation (These are some of the biggest transit projects going on in the US in 2016) or close proximity to new highways or new and improved interchanges, people like to be in a position to get where they need to go quickly.

So keep an eye on your state DOT website and keep abreast of where infrastructure is being planned. People want to live where convenience abounds!

Commercial Real Estate News for Monday, Dec. 5

Lots of news waiting for you after the weekend! Check out these five articles on commercial real estate.

Commercial Property Firm JLL Expanding D-FW Operations with Purchase

JLL is advancing its operations in North Texas after purchasing Integra Realty Resources. “IRR – Dallas brings a strong track record in capital markets valuations, eminent domain, and the seniors housing and healthcare sectors,” said John Gates, JLL’s CEO of Markets for the Americas.

Investments in Commercial Real Estate in Moscow Grow by 15%

Moscow saw $3.1 billion in commercial real estate investment in 2016. Of these investments, office space made up the largest share with 34% of all new buildings falling into that property type.

Women’s Fashion Retailer The Limited to Lay Off HQ Staff, Put Business Up For Sale

The Limited becomes another retailer to suffer from declining foot traffic in malls. A longtime staple in shopping centers, the company announced they are planning on shutting down the business unless a buyer can be found.

Office Markets Reliant on Energy Firms Might Wait Years for Recovery

Office space in energy dependent areas of the US will likely continue to suffer as oil prices drop worldwide. The shrinking energy companies have left nearly 23 million sq. ft. of sublease space in the top seven North American markets.

San Francisco Gears up for Final Push to Lure George Lucas Museum

On Jan 6, the George Lucas Museum team will decide between San Francisco and Los Angeles as the site of the $1 billion project. ““It seems to be going smoothly from our end,” Adam Van de Water, a project manager for the City and County of San Francisco, told the Chronicle. “We are doing our due diligence and hoping for the best.”

Commercial Real Estate News for Thursday, December 1

Good afternoon! Below you’ll find three articles detailing technology in the commercial real estate world and the state of retail.

Two Commercial Real Estate Tech Firms Merge in $300M Deal

VTS and Hightower, commercial real estate tech firms which offer cloud-based leasing software for landlords, are pondering a merger. The companies employ 275 people and are valued together at around $300 million.

Rental Trends: Virtual Reality Tours for Commercial Real Estate

Touring properties in the future may involve never setting a physical foot in them. Commercial real estate developers are turning to virtual reality experiences to show prospective buyers their buildings.

Retailers Try to Extend Holiday Shopping Season, But Will It Make a Difference?

Retailers are attempting to stretch the shopping season into earlier the parts of November and the later weeks of January. Early down-trending data from Black Friday seems to imply their efforts are in vain.

Real Estate Crowdfunding: A Trend That’s Here to Stay

The playing field is becoming more level for small investors thanks to a slew of real estate crowdfunding websites sprouting up across the web.

The crowd-sourced investment websites have become an expansive trend in the industry. In the last year, an estimated half a billion dollars pooled into sites like realtyshares.com, realtymogul.com and realcrowd.com.

To keep it sweet, it’s the trend that’s here to stay for commercial real estate. And for the next week, MyNOI will be covering the details you need to know when getting involved.

Realty Shares commercial real estate crowdfunding

Just over a year ago the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) opened doors to permit the use of the popular investment platform in an effort to help small investors acquire capital and additional protections under the law.

Regulators adopted A+ Offerings, which in turn expanded asset classes to two tiers, ranked between $20 million to $49.9 million and $50 million and above.

Real Crowd commercial real estate crowdfunding

In a statement released near the time of the adoption of the final rules, SEC Chair Mary Jo White stated he following: “There is a great deal of enthusiasm in the marketplace for crowdfunding, and I believe these rules and proposed amendments provide smaller companies with innovative ways to raise capital and give investors the protections they need.”

And investors are noticing. For the first time, accredited investors — or, someone who’s valued at $1 million and makes equal to or more than $250,000 per year — aren’t the only ones who can have a stake in crowd-sourced campaigns.

Realty Mogul commercial real estate crowdfunding

The regulations have gone a long way. Based on my experience owning my own share in one of these sites, they’re growing in popularity because they’re reaping returns. By next year, I expect the number of dollars invested in these sites to double.

Now, I’ve already identified the top brass in the real estate crowdfunding sites today, but I’ll also recommend a valuable place to search for reviews and rankings as well as stats on fees or other features on the hundreds of crowdfunding options available.

It’s called realestatecrowdfundingreview.com and it offers readers the top 100 real estate crowdfunding sites on the web today. So if you’re looking for facts and figures, check it out.

commercial real estate crowdfunding review

You’ll find that many these sites have similar components. Often, you’re presented with several properties detailing the project, the developer or investment group as well as their investment and project history and return.

By law, parties leading the crowdfunding effort will need to disclose the amount of money they’ve put in as well as their intent for the property.  

As an investor, it’s your choice to drop a dollar in several properties or just one.

So take a careful look at your options and consider giving real estate crowdfunding a shot — I predict it’s here to stay.

Commercial Real Estate News for Wednesday, November 23

Five articles for you highlighting big topics in the commercial real estate market today.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Rising Rates Threaten Global Property Investments

Very low rates have made commercial real estate boom around the world over the last few years. This may be changing as investors dump their government bonds in Europe, Asia and the US.

How Looming Tax Reforms Might Impact CRE Industry

The first major tax reform since 1986 will likely have a big on commercial real estate. Carried interest, property depreciation and pass-through income are all on the negotiation table.

As Vancouver’s Housing Market Cools, Commercial Property Sales Soar

The residential market in Vancouver, Canada is slowing, but while it lowers, commercial real estate is skyrocketing. Sales in the first half of 2016 nearly doubled the first half sales of 2015.

Growth in Commercial Real Estate to Boost the Global Fire Extinguishers Market Through 2020, Says Technavio

In an interesting correlation between different business sectors, the growth of the commercial real estate industry is positively influencing the sales of fire extinguishers. According to Technavio, the industry is expected to grow by 7% over the next few years.

Mixing It Up: Getting Mixed-Use Retail Right

Mixed-use retail buildings are a complex environment to navigate between tenants and maximizing revenue. One of the greatest skills a manager can possess with these property types is fantastic communication.

Trends in Retail that Center Owners Will Want to Know

With the continued evolution of eCommerce putting a dent in the bottom line of brick and mortar retail stores, from AAA national brands to local mom and pop shops, it’s tougher than ever for owners of retail centers, malls, villages, and the like to know what to include in their tenant portfolio to maximize effectiveness and ROI.

As a shopping center owner, you know that your property is very much a different beast than buildings in a downtown area or small local business strips. Yours is a space pre-built to drive demand due to factors like the interplay of tenants, available on-site parking, and overall convenience to retail customers.

As the shopping center has emerged and evolved as a cornerstone of retail commerce, complex patterns are emerging regarding types, naming conventions, societal preferences (in many places the “mall” is becoming a dinosaur), and even ecological impact—all of which influence consumer preferences and therefore the profitability of your tenants. Here are some of the top trends in retail happening this year:

What’s in a Name?

Marketing to recruit tenants, shoppers, and community support has lead to naming conventions that have in some ways become confusing or non-standardized. Identities such as “commons”, “market”, “village”, and even “mall” all mean different things to different interested parties. Considerations about where naming trends are going, or rebranding your space are both viable ways to keep your location competitive moving forward.   

Quora has a few brief articles if you’re looking for inspiration, here, here, and here.  

Pop-Up Retail

pop-up shop Trends in retail

One of the emerging trends in retail is the “pop-up” or flash retail phenomenon. This is the trend of opening short term sales spaces.

In the past, retail center owners were less likely to allow a pop-up operator into their space, preferring long term leases and stability. Convention was that a large anchor tenant was ideal, supported by long term smaller chains or local vendors.

Pop-up vendors were first seen in the early 90’s in major urban areas such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. Pop-up stores allow for creativity and risk taking that consumers respond well to.

As defined by thestorefront.com, a pop-up shop has a few features worth considering as a part of your tenant portfolio:

Term: Typically 1 day to 3 months

Location: High traffic areas (city centers, malls)

Price: Significantly lower than a traditional store, lease paid up front

Use: Sell products, allow a more diverse presence during holidays or events, supporting the launch new products, generate awareness (PR stunts and publicity), allow a retailer to move specialty or excess inventory, test a new idea or location, and for you (the center owner) increase the ‘cool’ factor of your property.

Pop-up shops are a great way to keep consumers interested in your space through novelty factor alone, and support your “anchor tenants” by drawing in new and diverse shoppers who may not have been exposed to the space previously.

And don’t think the Pop-up store is only a gimmick—Business Insider reports that Amazon is planning to open a slew of pop-up retail locations across the US in the next year.

Medical Facilities

massage Trends in retail

Modern life is, if anything, focused on convenience and maximizing time efficiency. Many medical outlets—physical therapists, massage, spa, general clinics, urgent care centers (for both people and pets), dentists, chiropractors, and alternative medical practitioners (Chinese, Ayurvedic, Reiki, etc) can now be found in retail centers, side by side with conventional stores.

As reported by biznow.com, Americans are now spending more than ever on healthcare, want healthcare that is easily accessible and fast, and landlords are looking for creditworthy tenants to fill the space left vacant by failing traditional retailers. This focus on healthcare is pushing one of the current trends in retail. 

It is easy to imagine a couple on a shopping outing, stopping in for a massage or an acupuncture treatment, extending their stay in your shopping center and making it an overall more enjoyable experience.

It could even be argued that you, as the owner are now more responsible than ever for creating an engaging and multi-faced experience for consumers than ever before.

The sorts of medical-related occupants that are acceptable to consumers has changed significantly over the last 10 years, wellness, rehab, or medical locations now offer a slew of possibilities for you to consider.

Final Thoughts

As you and your property management team consider how best to manage your portfolio, be sure that you are thinking “outside the box” as new opportunities and consumer expectations abound. Your retail center can evolve from the traditional, long-lease-all-mercantile, to more of a service based, exciting, and consumer-centric location.

Follow these trends in retail for successful investments. Build space for the community to spend time, and they will.