[In early February] NAIOP members from the U.S. and Canada attended NAIOP’s Chapter Leadership and Legislative Retreat (CL&LR) in Washington, D.C., with U.S. members scheduling meetings with their senators and representatives to educate elected officials on the issues important to the commercial real estate industry. Our annual CL&LR is an important event and is the kickoff to what is certain to be a consequential year for commercial real estate in terms of federal legislation. Just as important as the substance of the issues that will be at the center of the discussion during NAIOP’s Capitol Hill meetings are the relationships that exist and are fostered between elected representatives and their local NAIOP constituencies. The message coming from NAIOP members who are also constituents tends to leave a lasting impression on elected officials and their staff.

Originally published on January 6, 2025, by Ed Finkel for NAIOP.

The fortunes of the commercial real estate sector should be somewhere between status quo and modestly improved over the next year, with housing, industrial, data center, and advanced manufacturing among the most dynamic asset classes, according to a cross-section of developers and investors who sit on NAIOP’s board of directors.

Originally published on December 16, 2024, by Daniel Maldonado for NAIOP.

As we approach the end of 2024, the life sciences space is undergoing a noteworthy transformation. After a sharp post-COVID-19 downturn for the sector, there is a significant revival in venture capital activity, strategic landlord adaptations, and evolving market dynamics on the horizon that may shape the future of life sciences real estate for the better.

Originally published on October 30, 2024 by Joel Brenner for NAIOP.

It took more than 3,500 workers to build the Empire State Building in the early 1930s. Nearly 100 years later, commercial construction projects still require the work of hundreds to thousands of people to complete. Depending on their size, these projects can take anywhere from six months to 10 years to deliver. Managing that volume of workers across an extended period of time is a considerable undertaking. Success doesn’t just hinge on technical expertise; each and every member of the project team must be engaged, working together toward one common goal that unites them.

Originally published on July 29, 2024, by Malaika Rivers for NAIOP,

How many different commercial areas in your market are in transition? Maybe a professional or minor league sports team is considering a new mixed-use development, or an industrial area is attracting a growing residential community. On the flip side, perhaps the nearby office campus sits partially empty, or the local mall cannot attract shoppers the way it once had. These changes are familiar market landscapes to commercial real estate professionals, but they may not be as familiar with the tools to help maneuver these transitions.

Originally published on May 17, 2024, for Francis Chantree for NAIOP.

The self-storage industry stepped up to the plate during recent challenging years, again proving its resilience to real estate investors. With rising housing prices, shrinking living spaces, and changing lifestyle trends, it continues to offer a lower-cost way to get extra space for keeping all other types of possessions.

Originally published on March 13, 2024, by Kathryn Atkins for NAIOP.

Although this year’s I.CON West conference is taking place in California, much of the due diligence session applies to the rest of the country. In all aspects of due diligence, the goal is the same: How do we get the project for our investors through the approval cycle with the least risk, time and expense?  

The NAIOP CRE Sentiment Index for September 2023 is 46, slightly down from the April 2023 reading, and indicating that respondents expect conditions for commercial real estate to worsen over the next 12 months. 

Key Findings:

• Respondents have a negative outlook for every component that comprises the Index except for asking rents, which they expect to be slightly higher next year. However, they now expect effective rents to fall slightly more than they had predicted in April, and their outlook for occupancy rates remains negative, suggesting higher asking rents will provide little relief.
   
• Respondents now expect capital market conditions to deteriorate less rapidly than they had predicted in April. They expect future equity availability will be almost as high as it is now, suggesting that equity flows may be close to bottoming out. Nonetheless, they still expect debt to be less available than it is now, and for cap rates to increase. In response to a question that is not used to calculate the Index, developers and building owners indicated they expect interest rates to be slightly higher than they had predicted in April.
   
• Developers and building owners expect their own deal volume to shrink but at a slower rate than in April. Their outlook for a reduction in the dollar volume of new projects and acquisitions echoes respondents’ expectations for a slowing decline in capital availability.
   
• Respondents still expect general industry conditions to worsen, but less than they previously expected. The score for general industry conditions (45) is calculated separately from the CRE Sentiment Index. Its continued rebound is most likely due to a less pessimistic outlook for the economy overall. Asked separately from the questions that comprise the Index, developers and building owners indicated they expect no change in local economic conditions over the next 12 months, an improvement from April.
    
• Respondents now expect employment in their own firms to decline slightly over the next year, suggesting that deteriorating market conditions are now being felt more directly by commercial real estate firms.

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Originally published on July 17, 2023, by the NAIOP Podcast: Inside CRE.

Marc sits down with Richard Branch, chief economist at Dodge Construction Network, a leading source of data analytics and insights on the commercial construction industry. Branch has us time-travel to the peak of the office market in 1985 (when the tax code allowed for extended depreciation); shares the latest data from Dodge on office renovation projects; and explores the link between the office market and popular culture, from “Mad Men” to “Office Space” to the end of the corner office. He discusses the hotel industry’s “aggressive rebound” post-economic crises; makes the case for why the office sector is here to stay; and shares the opportunities he sees for adaptive reuse in big cities and build-to-suit office space made for the hybrid work environment. Recorded on June 14, 2023.

Originally published on June 8, 2023, by Kathryn Hamilton, CAE for NAIOP.

This week at NAIOP’s I.CON East: The Industrial Conference, four experts in the space shared their thoughts on how the corporate real estate of the future will integrate the evolving trends of sustainability and automation so that owners can meet carbon reduction and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals, exceed tenant specs, future-proof their properties and increase NOI.

Originally published on May 25, 2023, by Jim Fraser for NAIOP.

A recent report from the American Institute of Architects shows that nonresidential construction spending is expected to slow to a growth rate of 5.8% in 2023 (down from 10% in 2022) and then fall to a mere 1% growth rate in 2024. Recent years brought new stresses on the industry – COVID-19 shutdowns, supply chain woes, labor shortages and bank failures have slowed projects or put them entirely on hold.

Originally published on May 23, 2023, by Shawn Moura Ph.D., for NAIOP.

NAIOP National Forums members attending last week’s annual Symposium had the opportunity to tour several projects in the office and life science markets in East Cambridge, Somerville and the greater Boston market. The tour, led by Rob Dickey, Executive Vice President at Leggat McCall Properties (LMP), included site visits to two mixed-use projects that are currently under development.

Originally published on May 19, 2023, by Kathryn Hamilton for NAIOP.

The Boston seaport has been continually reshaped since the 1800s, devolving from what was once a thriving area of commerce to acres of muddy parking lots and a few restaurants. Today, it is being reimagined again in a rapid and remarkable transformation that includes soaring office and lab towers, high-end residential, and all the retail services you could imagine.

Originally published on February 6, 2023, by NAIOP.

The four phases of commercial real estate development yield significant contributions to the U.S. economy, creating jobs and building the places we work, shop, live and play. In 2022, combined economic contributions of new commercial building development and the operations of existing commercial buildings:

Originally published on December 27, 2022 for NAIOP E-Newsletter by Ed Finkel.

As the calendar turns to 2023, what’s ahead for the commercial real estate field? We talked to several NAIOP Distinguished Fellows and Research Foundation Governors to get their forecasts for the next 12 months.

By Trey Barrineau

Industrial properties are often built near neighborhoods, but that isn’t always popular with the residents, who have legitimate concerns about noise, traffic and pollution from the increased volume of trucks and vans.

Originally published on September 6, 2022 by Patrick Sisson for Bisnow National.

Women in commercial real estate, particularly those in the upper echelons of management, have made gains when it comes to equity and pay parity in the workplace, but talent pipelines, mentorship and diversity in leadership ranks still leave something to be desired.

TOP FIVE US METROS FOR LIFE SCIENCES IN 2022

By Ioana Ginsac

Growth in the life sciences sector has driven demand in recent years for both commercial real estate space and labor to accommodate this specialized sector. A new study by commercial real estate platform CommercialCafe set out to identify the best metros for life science companies in 2022 and assessed more than 40 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in terms of regional talent pool and workforce; accessibility of local office markets; the degree of availability of existing dedicated property; as well as the state of the local pipeline aiming to expand local life sciences capacity.

• By Russ Hazzard, Jonathan Chang, Development Magazine (photo of Vancouver, B.C. Costco by Raef Grohne)

Experiences in Canada and Asia provide case studies for building these complex properties.

Over the past 15 years, multilevel warehouses — particularly those used for retail purposes — have been a growing trend across Asia and, more recently, in the United States. However, some challenges accompany their design and construction that are not encountered in the traditional approach to large-format retail. With operational criteria at the top of the list, these challenges vary heavily based on several factors, including location, footprint, environment, jurisdictional requirements, and cultural and community influences.

The increase in demand for and construction of multilevel warehouses has unearthed numerous unique considerations not present in traditional warehouse environments. These challenges — each intricate in their own right — have required creative solutions and careful programming to successfully bring each project to life.