Archive for August, 2010
The Power of Demographics!
Aug 26th
Demographic information is a vital component to not only describe a market area but to analyze a market area. In order to mitigate risk, retailers have invested time and money in going beyond the basic market snap shot to build in-house geographical information systems (G.I.S.). Today, retailers are blending the understanding of the general market with their own customer understanding and market expectations. G.I.S technology goes beyond the basic 3 ring trade area which illustrates basic information such as: population base, competitors and traffic counts. Data is indeed a commodity; however, it is what you do with the data that is critical to understanding both a market and a customer perspective. A well planned G.I.S. is focused on the customer and provides insights into: Who is the ideal customer? How many exist? What is their share of wallet? Where do they live, work? More >
Commercial and Multifamily Mortgages on the Rise?
Aug 19th
According to the most recent Mortgage Bankers Association Quarterly Survey of Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Bankers Originations, commercial and multifamily mortgage loan originations increased 35 percent in the 2nd Quarter 2010 compared to the 1st Quarter 2010, and they are up 1 percent from the 2nd Quarter 2009. More >
Manhattan Commercial Real Estate Market Overview
Aug 17th
Manhattan’s commercial real estate market continued to move towards stabilization, as leasing activity increased further from the already positive trend of Q1. Total vacancy fell .1% to 12.6% overall. Manhattan outpaced most urban markets as fundamentals rose. Quantifiable job growth for the past five months, especially in the financial sector, bolstered demand for office space and drove absorption to the plus side by 817,628 SF. More >
Brock Commercial Joins NAI Harcourts Partnership to Expand in South Australia
Aug 12th
NAI Harcourts, a joint venture between NAI Global and Harcourts International Limited, is expanding its presence across South Australia with the signing of Brock Real Estate’s commercial division in New Zealand. More >
eCommerce Still Needs Physical Space
Aug 11th
In my recent blog posts I’ve been exploring the question, “As retail evolves, do retailers still need warehouse/distribution space?” As noted previously, American retailers occupy more than 5 billion square feet of warehousing/distribution space. And while leasing volume declined dramatically during the recent economic downtown, retailers do continue to extend and/or renew their lease holdings while reviewing their long-term warehousing strategies. More >
What Attracts a New Business to a City or State
Aug 10th
Many municipalities put a great emphasis on economic development, often creating whole departments that do nothing but attract new businesses and keep old ones. A good industry can put a city or state on the map and any municipality will look at quality of life issues such as keeping its citizens gainfully employed. More >
And What is Coming in Technology… Soon
Aug 2nd
Here is a scenario for upcoming utilization of technology in real estate.
A client engages a real estate broker to manage a portfolio of a few dozen properties. The client wants to know the general condition of each property, surrounding market demographics and valuations, an opinion of value of each property including the general condition of structures and land including major assets and occupiable areas. Importantly, the owner needs specific information for each site, such as retail sales per property, to evaluate future site selections for possible disposition or even growth, and then ask the broker to determine a sales price for identified disposition prospects as well as developing a strategic plan for managing existing leases for both renewals and terminations. And the client wants this information available online for secure viewing both internally to key client users in various departments and to authorized vendors who may be needed for further advisory and consulting services, as well as brokers who may handle the transactions. More >
