Category: Office
Tech Job Growth Continues to Create Demand for Office Space
Growth in technology-related jobs—particularly computer and mathematics occupations—is expected to keep office leasing strong in certain markets over the next decade.
Overall, between 20 and 25 percent of current office leasing activity is related to technology jobs, particularly computer and mathematics occupations—a subset of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), reports Rebecca Rockey, Cushman & Wakefield’s economist, head of forecasting for the Americas, and lead author of a new Occupier Insights report on the impact of certain technology occupations on the office sector. This is a stark contrast to the previous office cycle, when leasing was primarily driven by new financial services and business analyst occupations, noted the report.
In total, 1 million new computer and mathematics occupations have been created over the last seven years, bringing the total to 4.1 million computing and 167,000 mathematics jobs in the United States today. STEM jobs are being created at a faster pace than other jobs with seven of the top 10 STEM occupations being computer-related and including jobs such as programmers, network developers and designers. Of these new jobs, 85.4 percent are in office-using industries, making it the largest occupational category driving growth in the office cycle’s current expansion, according to the C&W report.
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One-Time Emerging Apartment Markets Are Becoming Emerging Office Markets
As multifamily rents in core markets have continued to climb, investors, office tenants and residents alike have turned their attention to secondary markets. According to JLL’s Investment Outlook report, secondary markets accounted for 50 percent of all U.S. office transactions last year, due to slowing demand and oversupply of product in core markets.
Renters
The San Francisco Bay Area, home to many of the top performing tech companies in the U.S., boasts some of the highest rents in the country. Several cities throughout the Bay Area were ranked in the top 10 for rent increases in 2017. San Francisco continues to lead the nation with an estimated median rent of $4,000 per month.
Richard is our resident social media expert. He researches and writes about; the economy, marketing trends and all aspects of real estate investing.
Exclusive Research: Investor Outlook Remains Stable for the Office Sector
Despite the overall consensus that commercial real estate is in the late stages of its current cycle, investors in the office sector continue to see strength in the sector. Expectations for rents and occupancies remain bullish. And while there is a general sense that cap rates will rise, respondents overall remain optimistic about the prospects for the space.
Those were among the findings in NREI’s fourth annual research survey aimed at gauging sentiment about the office sector for the coming year.
Respondents were asked to rank the relative strength of their region on a scale of 1 to 10. The West (8.2) led the way, followed by the South (7.9), the East (7.4) and the Midwest (6.8). The scores for the East, Midwest and South all rose from 2017, while the score for the West remained flat. The West has been the top market in each of the four surveys NREI has completed on the office sector.
Richard is our resident social media expert. He researches and writes about; the economy, marketing trends and all aspects of real estate investing.
How Lease Agreements Can Protect Against Risk in Single-Tenant Office Assets
Single-tenant office buildings present a greater risk for loan default than multitenant assets because the sole income stream is dependent on one tenant. But there’s advice experts can offer borrowers on structuring leases to help protect their interests if something goes wrong.
In recent years, there has been a rush by investors to acquire single-tenant office buildings, because this type of asset offers better yields than Treasury bonds, says Eric Entringer, vice president of capital markets and investor relations at Dornin Investment Group, a real estate investment firm with offices in Orange County, Calif. and Las Vegas.
He notes that these assets are attracting lots of 1031 exchange investors, as well as investors pulling out of the stock market, but suggests a question they should ask themselves before investing in single-tenant office assets: “Is the risk appropriate in terms of the returns they’ll get over Treasury bonds?”
Richard is our resident social media expert. He researches and writes about; the economy, marketing trends and all aspects of real estate investing.