I just returned from the SIOR European Conference in Warsaw, Poland. It’s my third visit to Europe recently and the most persistent trend is the expansion of big warehouse development. It’s leading to opportunities for U.S. occupiers and investors mainly due to the strength of the dollar.
Continue reading “European Opportunities for U.S Occupiers and Investors”
We started a new site where Users can snap pictures of available space from their phone or PC and upload directly to the site. It’s meant to work on a market-to-market basis because it also requires extensive “‘on-the-ground” support so Users know about the service. We are testing it in Gardena first. Space providers can offer directly to Space Occupiers. Continue reading “SnapSpace in Beta”
Here is the reading/resource list for the session in Austin entitled, Digital Transformation Of The Industrial Broker
reading list
Industrial Building Portfolios, $50MM and greater, are where the action is today. Institutional investors need scale and the only place to find it, as far as industrial, is in the portfolios of National Operating Companies and Private Partnerships. Institutional Investors stand between the real estate and fixed obligations to satisfy pension, insurance, and retirement plans. It’s major financial plumbing and as the obligations grow so does the need for product. Roll ups, a familiar consolidation vehicle in corporate America, is now the preferred way for large real estate investors to buy. Unknown to many, national industrial building ownership is consolidating and almost all local developers/investors sell into these relatively few pools as a final exit.
Continue reading “Industrial Building Portfolios – In Heavy Demand”
Dynamic pricing is becoming a greater influence on space leasing and building sales. By dynamism, I mean fluctuating rents separate from conventional underwriting. A “spot market” is emerging to satisfy demand for smaller, flexible, and elastic spaces. Many examples include Truck Yards, Warehouse Sharing, Creative, Cannabis, and other categories of sub-space where “street rents” are disconnected from contract rents. WeWork and Amazon are two primary examples that contract with the Landlord at one rent, and lease out space bits at higher rents. Public Warehouses, Self-Storage, Swap Meets, Studios and Truck Yards operate along the same model by collecting additional rent by offering “alternative occupancies” with varying degrees of added services. The revolution is any building can be pieced out especially with easily acquired technology that can create “smart” buildings for automation, surveillance, and access.
Continue reading “Race for Space – The New Dynamism”
There is everything going for it this year. Big Capital is heavily on the warpath with more cash than ever looking at older, smaller and tertiary property with as much effort as they do with “A” product. Occupiers are armed with low tax rates and incentives for new plant, equipment, and improvements. Technologists are advancing innovation to increase cash flows with robotics, automation, ecommerce and sharing. At the top, the Developer-in Chief is intent on making commercial real estate and U.S. Industry the biggest winners in the economy.
Continue reading “2018: Dynamo Year Ahead for Industrial”
Here are a few notes from the SIOR Fall Convention 2015 that was held in Chicago this past weekend, October 8-10.
Continue reading “Notes From the 2015 SIOR Fall Conference in Chicago”
We are seeing changes beginning to happen in the thinking and strategies of our clients
Continue reading “Positive Changes We Are Seeing”
The Macro View
Similar to 2011, this year starts with a favorable outlook. GDP is up, unemployment rates are down and the last quarter of 2011 saw improvement in leasing activity. Development has also returned in some selected areas under a new guise. Industrial developers are preparing sites and building pads with the goal of constructing the building once they secure a tenant. This modified build-to-suit will shave a year off the normal development cycle.