The 2020 GWA Conference, like many events nationally this year, was forced to pivot to a virtual setting. Despite the quick timeline to put the online event together, GWA was able to gather a fantastic group of presenters and over 1500 attendees took part in the 24-hour production.  The prevailing themes were health and safety for both members and staff, as well as the changes the coworking industry can expect to come out of this crisis stronger and smarter. Here is a look at some of the takeaways from the global event. The office is not dead One of the interesting nuances from the pandemic has been how productive employees have been while working from home. Employers have generally been pleased with the productivity of a completely remote workforce. It is potentially a defining moment for coworking spaces, which could reap the benefits of companies who realize they don’t need to house everyone in one centralized location, and many positions could become fully remote. Previously remote workers, on the other hand, may just feel some satisfaction at what they’ve known all along. However, bandwidth limitations, distractions or lack of comfort could pose some challenges while working at home. Joe Brady, CEO Americas of The Instant Group, explained that while work from home policies have had success, coworking solves for the issues that WFH presents. Brady’s stated the 3 C’s for where people choose to work are concentration, community and collaboration. While one may achieve some aspects of that from home or with the emergence of video conferencing, the coworking industry is a hub for all three simultaneously. “The idea of innovation could be dying if everyone is permanently working from home,” he said. “The threads of culture strengthen when people come together.” Ensuring health...

Last week, Yardi Matrix hosted three webinars that provided insight on how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the self storage, multifamily and commercial real estate markets. Let’s look at the insight on the commercial market, which is extensive. This post continues our first commercial sector recap, which you can read here. Feast and famine in industrial The industrial sector witnesses mixed results from shelter in place mandates. E-commerce is roaring as consumers and businesses go online to purchase necessities without leaving home. Logistics and distribution are regarded as essential services, largely immune to shut down mandates. These niches are among the few still adding jobs. Walmart has posted 150,000 new positions, followed by Amazon with 100,000 and CVS with 50,000. They’re offering enhanced benefits as well as boosted hourly wages. Not all industrial tenants are forecasted to whether the downturn. Small business that occupy multi-tenant industrial spaces could dissolve. Most tenants aren’t positioned for unlimited viability. Multi-tenant, smaller organizations compose nearly 45% of industrial space which will have a notable effect on overall industrial performance. Retail on thin ice with few exceptions Grocers are thriving, but the boon is not expected to last long after the COVID-19 recovery. Before the pandemic, cash flowed away from grocers to restaurants and meal kit delivery services. Social distancing has hamstrung both of those competitors, forcing consumers back to store aisles. Grocers are hiring as well as grocery deliver companies. Such businesses are expected to add 300,000 workers over the next three months. But as the crisis subsides, grocer revenue will return to normal. No matter what, its clear that retail landlords will be hit hard. Social distancing policies have reduced and, in many cases, eliminated transactions at brick-and-mortar stores, which were already experiencing a decline with the...

Last week, Yardi Matrix hosted three webinars that provided insight on how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the self storage, multifamily and commercial real estate markets. Let’s look at the insight on the commercial market, which is extensive. This post will cover the office market – a follow-up on industrial and retail can be found here. National overview For most sectors of commercial real estate, the next four to eight weeks will be tough. Due to state public health mandates, up to a quarter of the country’s economy has shut down, which will result in double digit GDP drops. The travel, hospitality, and restaurant industries have been the hardest hit, affecting about 30 million people. The United States Department of Labor reported 6.6 million new jobless claims in March. While outlook for Q2 and Q3 is not encouraging for all sectors, a few sectors are functioning if not thriving. Agriculture, industrial, distribution, and construction are among the sectors that are stable or growing during the pandemic. For sectors that are suffering, analysts forecast a dip in economic performance rather than a long-term decline. How much and how broad of a dip is still up for debate. The peak and denouement of the pandemic are uncertain, and business impacts will follow. In response, Congress has passed a $2T CARES Act stimulus package to offset economic decline and aggregate demand. The Federal Reserve rolled out several initiatives for small businesses totaling $350 billion. Large business can take advantage of nearly direct access to federal resources for capital. Efforts to stave off business bankruptcies are accompanied by consumer aid efforts. Though consumer spending is being redirected, it is only moderately reduced. The big question on everyone’s mind: can businesses stay open and recall workers when this is...

February was the last month of the record long economic recovery before U.S. office workers were largely asked to work from home, which will likely have long term implications for the national office market, Yardi Matrix reports in this month’s National Office Report. The rapid growth of COVID-19 has made it clear the economy has quickly shifted into contraction mode as the nation reacts to an unprecedented pandemic. “This is a rapidly changing situation with no clear timeframe or conclusion, and as of now it’s unclear how long the shelter-in-place orders, social distancing and moratoriums on public gatherings will last or how deep the economic contraction may become,” states the report. Market experts also suspect that the mandatory work from home restrictions may have long term implications for offices, perhaps changing how feasible and desirable workers view remote work, while potentially having more challenging implications for the coworking industry. Office transactions will likely come to a halt for the time being despite record low interest rates and widening cap rate spreads. For the most part, the office market didn’t enter this situation overbuilt or with loans that are overleveraged. This should help activity resume once the crisis subsides. “Owners may be hesitant to lease space to coworking firms that are themselves dependent on short-term leases. Further, remote workers that had utilized cowork­ing space may find themselves making the home office a permanent one over the next couple of months,” states the report. Yardi Matrix will offer a two upcoming webinars next week on the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. real estate market. Join the webinar with multifamily focused insight on Wed., April 1 at 10:30am PST. Join the webinar with a commercial real estate focus on Thurs., April 2 at 12:30pm...

A thriving job market is great for commercial real estate, especially when it demands industrial sites. After decades in China, several American-owned manufacturers are bringing their jobs back to American soil. Property developers and owners in a few unlikely areas are benefiting from reshoring efforts.  Why the Switch? The American skilled labor workforce has always had its appeal. That skills, however, sometimes came at a cost that seemed prohibitive to many manufacturers. Times are changing. Manufacturers are discovering that automation may help them experience significant savings on labor costs. Automated plants, staffed by a small group of highly qualified tech professionals, can cost less than foreign factories with thousands of laborers. A growing number of companies are finding that the costs of manufacturing—coupled with transportation and distribution expenses—don’t offer the savings that they once did. Tray Anderson, lead of logistics and industrial services in the Americas for Cushman & Wakefield, suggests that reverse logistics are a key factor in reshoring decisions. “Typically, we see an appetite for reshoring if there is an eight to 12 percent difference in overall costs [compared to manufacturing products outside the U.S.],” said Anderson. That margin has decreased when manufacturers consider capital investment, labor costs, logistics, storage, depreciation, operations, and product returns as well as losses from product obsolescence that occurs when shipping products between continents, he says. Then there are the tariffs. A poll issued by the American Chamber of Commerce and its partner in Shanghai reveals the impact of recent tax. This year, about 40 percent of respondents state that they “are considering or have relocated manufacturing facilities outside of China.” Comparatively, the 2018 survey stated that only 30 percent of manufacturers had considered “partial relocation.” America has further sweetened the pot for companies with local and...

Here are some highlights of the most recent U.S. office property report from Yardi Matrix: Office-using employment increased 1.6% year-over-year in November 2019. The average asking rate increased 2.3% year-over-year that month while the vacancy rate fell 10 basis points to 13.6%. Growth in demand for office space as measured by office-using employment is heavily concentrated in a handful of metros. The top 20 markets tracked by Yardi Matrix accounted for 64% of office-using employment growth from October 2018 to October 2019 but only about 42% of total employment growth. Transactions through November totaled $82.2 billion, on pace to match or exceed the $93 million recorded in 2018. Sixty-seven million square feet of space was delivered year to date through November and another 156 million square feet remains under construction. Learn more about key trends in national supply, demand and sales—along with the factors driving listing rate increases in Brooklyn, N.Y.; and why the office market economies in Nashville, Tenn., and Orlando, Fla., are riding high—in the Yardi Matrix national office report for December...

Here are some key findings in the most recent U.S. office property report from Yardi® Matrix. All figures are as of October 2019 unless otherwise noted. Demand for office space remains strong, with office-using sectors adding 545,000 jobs over the past 12 months. One of every three jobs added in the 12 months ending in September were in office-using sectors. The average U.S. office asking rate increased 2% year-over-year. Per-square-foot prices for central business district buildings are 24.6% higher than in 2018. Prices for buildings with A+ and A ratings have increased 12.1% this year. Markets with the highest year-over-year listing rate growth were San Francisco, Tampa, Fla., the San Francisco Bay Area and Manhattan. N.Y. The national vacancy rate increased 40 basis points from the previous month, to 13.7%. Lower interest rates have helped accelerate transaction activity since the summer, with investment volume totaling $74 billion. Office space delivered nationally totaled 59.2 million square feet. 1 million square feet of space is under construction. Get all the details in the Yardi Matrix national office report for November...

Private and nonprofit organizations faced a tall order in February 2016. That’s when the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued new accounting standards requiring lessees to report real estate liabilities on their balance sheets. The standard was set to take effect by mid-December 2019, but FASB issued a one-year extension in October that gives such companies more time to compile, understand and calculate leasing data. The original deadline will remain unchanged for large public banks. As an article published by BOMA International explains, over 85% of lease commitments aren’t listed on corporate balance sheets. Once the new standard kicks in, any equipment or real estate lease with a term longer than 12 months must be recorded on the balance sheet as a “right-of-use” (ROU) asset with a corresponding lease liability. The standards won’t change landlords’ operations much, but tenants will demand improved transparency in their lease agreements. The impact will be especially dramatic for retailers, chain restaurants and other sectors that rely heavily on leasing for their operations. The new reporting requirements will force companies to be more rigorous in recording leasing data and the types of information that must be tracked. “Transparency around contract details will be critical,” according to Stephen Miller, global lease accounting lead for JLL and author of the BOMA article. One key change requires renewal options to become part of lessees’ reported liability if a company is reasonably certain it will exercise its option to renew. Shorter leasing terms will reduce reported liabilities, and operating and service contracts will be excluded from balance sheet calculations. Some experts calculate that corporate debt loads will increase by an average of 58% under the new rules. Rising debt loads elevate a company’s overall financial risk and can set off alarms with investors and...

What role does your organization play in the future of smart buildings and smart cities? How can you tap into the benefits today? Commercial property professionals tackled those questions and more at the 2019 Real Trends Conference. In the commercial real estate trends discussion “Co-chair Insights: Politics, Demographics, and Technology” Amy Erixon, head of global investment management at Avison Young-Investments Canada, was joined by Sheila Botting, senior partner & Canadian real estate leader at Deloitte. They posited government-owned territories and creative commercial assets can bolster the nation into a prosperous future. The available land is the ideal foundation for smart infrastructure and smart buildings. Thoughtful commercial spaces upon that land lends itself to creating buildings that are flexible and scalable.  The “2019 Office Tenant Preference Survey Presentation” and “Smart Cities and Smart Buildings” sessions explored how space is a canvas for economic success. 2019 Office Tenant Preference Survey Presentation Heather Brady, national director of sales for Yardi Canada, lead the session on the first office tenant preference survey sponsored by Yardi. This year will serve as a benchmark to more robust and relevant data gathered in the future. Survey responses can help owners make more informed and proactive decisions about land use as well as space use within their structures. Most Requested Features in Commercial Spaces Survey participants expressed high demand for the following: elevators WI-FI natural light conference rooms within the office space parking lots ability to receive packages during work hours exterior green space energy efficient lighting The survey also explored how telecommuting influences the way that tenants request and use space. Currently, 51 percent of tenants’ employees can work from home but only 3 percent do so full time. This reflects the growing inclination towards more flexible workspaces. As the telecommuting...

The U.S. office market is holding steady amid faltering economic indicators and the prospect of a recession in two years. The industry’s status was the subject of a recent webinar presented by Jeff Adler, vice president of Yardi Matrix, and Jack Kern, director of research and publications. They pointed to favorable U.S. economic conditions that include moderate gross domestic product growth, solid employment growth, low inflation and a tight labor market. On the other side of the ledger are struggling farming and manufacturing sectors and decelerating economies in China and Europe that present potential harbingers of a recession by mid-2021. More than half of the office markets tracked by Yardi Matrix experienced moderate rent growth over the past year, with tech hubs like San Francisco, Tampa, Fla., and Austin, Texas, seeing big gains. The absorption of available office properties, including expensive ones, in most markets makes for “quite a positive picture,” Adler said. “It’s not a bad time to be in the office business if you can work around some of the [larger] economic issues. Conditions are sufficient to maintain good office-using employment growth, occupancy and slow rental growth.” Promising niche markets were also on the webinar’s agenda. One of them, medical office buildings, is on the rise due to an aging population and providers’ desire to move healthcare delivery from hospitals to lower-cost facilities. Being less cyclical than other sectors and typically fetching higher prices than general office space accounts for much of this space’s appeal. “If you’re looking for value beyond the major office ‘food groups,’ this area merits attention,” Adler noted, adding that Yardi Matrix tracks 544 million square feet of medical office space. Another increasingly dynamic niche is R&D offices, consisting of highly specialized lab or research and development space...

A new report from Yardi® Matrix illustrates that new office property supply in the U.S. is becoming increasingly urbanized, an occurrence that’s at odds with historical trends. Suburban properties constituted at least half of new deliveries every year for the decade preceding. Today, “only 31.3% of square footage under construction is in suburban submarkets,” the report notes. Furthermore, there’s heavy concentration in a handful of metros, with more than half of new supply located in the top 10 most active markets and almost 80% in the top 20. Meanwhile, average asking rates across the country increased 1.4% year-over-year in September 2019, while vacancy rates dropped 10 basis points from the previous month, to 13.3%. Transaction activity was somewhat muted in the first three quarters of the year compared to 2018. “While there was some anticipation that sales would increase in the third quarter due to low interest rates, the third quarter of the year will finish close to the second quarter’s $22.8 billion of sales,” the report says. The report dives deep into key elements of the office sector, including drivers of asking rate growth in metros like San Francisco, Tampa, Fla.; and Austin Texas; office-using employment as it compares with the overall economy; and trends in key markets Austin, Brooklyn, N.Y., and Phoenix. Download it...

While the industrial sector has rapidly grown in lockstep with the evolution of e-commerce, a number of signs are beginning to point to a slowdown. Warehouses and distribution centers continue to be strong performers, but following a massive nationwide industrial construction boom, supply is finally starting to catch up with demand. Given the abundance of modern, industrial supply, value-add investors must have a more thoughtful approach. Sealy & Co., active throughout the South and the Midwest, takes a straightforward approach to its value-add acquisitions, focusing not only on a building’s potential improvements but also emphasizing location as a key driver of asset value. Chairman Scott Sealy Sr. discussed his investment strategy and the state of the market with Commercial Property Executive. How would you describe the state of the national industrial market, given soaring demand and unprecedented levels of industrial development? Sealy: There are several sectors within the industrial market alone, and most are demand driven. Some, however, are moving to a balance of supply and demand. Larger distribution is still enjoying good absorption and rent growth. Infill properties in the markets we are in have limited vacancy and significant rent growth. We expect the trend to continue for several more years. In which industrial market do you see the greatest opportunity for expansion, and what sets this market apart from the crowd? Sealy: Multiple markets attract us for a variety of reasons. For example, we like Houston for its historical rent growth and fundamentals, the economy is very solid. Unfortunately, it can be hard to find potential development sites here because of the high demand and recognition of this potential. If you’re strategic, thorough and able to capitalize, the economic structure is rewarding. Read the rest of this post on Commercial Property...

For decades, commercial property managers regarded information technology as a support function, one that was almost always isolated from the strategic direction of the business. Today, with virtually all property stakeholders expecting greater operational control and transparency, relegating IT to a peripheral or firefighting role is no longer an option. The consensus among Yardi’s Dhar Sawh and other experts who participated in a recent Realcomm-hosted webinar holds that IT, as a company’s technology implementation gatekeeper, should command status as a full partner and value generator. Sawh defined the purpose of a technology strategy as satisfying owner and investor expectations for favorable revenue, cost and risk mitigation outcomes. Performing the business operations necessary to achieve them requires visibility into revenue, occupancy and other indicators that spans the organization. That, in turn, requires connected solutions that unify people and resources, from vendors and employees all the way up to investors, in a common vision. He also pointed out that extracting cost and revenue benefits from current operations, rather than actively pursuing new yields, is the most reliable generator of investor returns late in an economic expansion cycle such as the current one. IT drives those results with technology that’s scaled across the organization and empowers stakeholders with automation and self-service capabilities like online invoice processing, payments and work orders. Another example of technology occupying a place at the core of a business is active sensors that monitor a space and preheat or precool the area before it’s occupied. This allows building owners to avoid charges for utility usage at peak times. “This is an example of integrating technology for the benefit of business objectives,” Sawh said. Once invested as a full partner in the business, IT can create positive experiences for owners and occupants by elevating...

A new report from Yardi® Matrix shows that demand for U.S. office space remains strong, with office-using employment sector growth—which, at 1.7% year-over-year, tops overall non-farm employment growth—driving a 0.1% year-over-year street rate increase in August 2019. “Markets with lower-than-average vacancy rates and solid office-using employment growth continue to have the highest rate of year-over-year growth in listing rates,” the report says, citing San Francisco, Tampa, Fla., Nashville, Tenn., and Austin, Texas, as the leaders. Large, expensive spaces entering the market and pushing overall listing rates upward account for much of their increases. Strong fundamentals don’t always produce high listing rate growth, however. For example, two new business centers and 106,253 square feet of available floor space in an existing mall are depressing rates in Orlando, Fla. The metro had the largest decrease in listing rates in August (-5.9%). Chicago, which has shaky fundamentals, had the second-largest (-5.2%). Year-to-date office sales through the end of August totaled $55.2 billion, slightly behind the $60.7 billion registered through the same period last year. Space under construction, 179.1 million square feet, represents 2.9% of stock. The Yardi Matrix national office report for September 2019 has a wealth of information on occupancy trends, supply, office-using employment and more. Download it...

Commercial real estate still faces a hiring crisis. Though pipelines are ready to burst, employment levels are at a 50-year low. Talent recruitment poses a challenge throughout real estate management, but commercial firms face unique battles that linger from the Great Recession. Only fresh strategies can help lift these organizations out of the hiring deficit. Why is Hiring Still an Issue? Though the Great Recession ended about a decade ago, we are still feeling the aftershock. In the midst of the economic slump, commercial firms stopped hiring. As the nation reeled towards recovery, hiring resumed with the exception of entry level positions. “That lack of training has created a shortage of people who can step into mid-level positions right now,” explains Dianna Rudd, senior director of facility staffing and recruitment at IMPEC Group of California. Her organization offers workplace consulting and witnessed the hiring drama firsthand. As a result, the industry also dropped off the radar with prospects. Fast-forward and we are still struggling with a shortage of entry-level and mid-tier talent. For example, it took 10 views of a job posting before someone would apply back in 2006. In 2018, it took about 30 views. What Hasn’t (Really) Worked To bolster recruitment efforts, commercial organizations increased compensation by nearly 16 percent from 2013-2018. This rate is even higher for C-level executives, reports National Real Estate Investor Online. Rates are reported between 20 and 30 percent higher for executives. But offering more money hasn’t solved the problem.  Other industries have recovered while commercial real estate organizations struggle to generate interest. Though the current national unemployment rate fluctuates around a healthy 3.7 percent, commercial real estate faces a nearly negative unemployment rate. Competitive compensation packages are a viable way to promote engagement. The additional strategies...

Did you know that you and your tenants spend more than one third of your lifetime at work? That’s a lot of time spent indoors. As our “second place,” the physical workspace of the future must facilitate wellness, satisfaction, and retention. Built-in features can then complement tenants’ initiatives in those areas. Thought leader Brian Eichenseer, General Manager of Hines commercial real estate investment firm, explores how connectivity, flexibility, and sustainability equip future properties for success. What do tenants want? “Today’s work environment focuses on creating a harmonious blend of open and private spaces that both encourage interaction and provide place for solitary retreat, experiential moments that draw a connection to the surrounding community and a sense of place, and sustainable features reflective of the environmentally conscious generation joining the workforce,” explains Eichenseer. That’s a tall order to fill. Creative developers are finding practical ways to deliver. Eichenseer addresses the key elements to fill that order: digital and physical connectivity, workplace flexibility and sustainability. Physical and Technical Connectivity Connectivity bears social and technological features. Socially, tenants seek spaces that are connected to the local community and provide staff with a sense of place and belonging, suggests Eichenseer. They desire shared spaces that encourage collaboration as well as private spaces that allow occupants to connect to their inner creativity and problem solving abilities. Accessibility to mass transit makes the connection between home and “second place” more seamless, says Eichenseer. Building near interstate access has long had its appeal. Newer to the scene, especially in rural areas and the Southeast, is bike and pedestrian travel accommodations. To address the latter, developers are incorporating bike storage and locker facilities into new projects. The big ticket item is internet connectivity. Tenants need to connect to their commercial property management...

Midsize tenants are driving the demand for industrial space in metropolitan areas. As a result, their needs shape the direction of and development within the industry. Major Markets for Midsize Tenants Midsize industrial tenants occupy space from 50,000-sq.-ft. to 300,000-sq.-ft. Yardi client and real estate services firm Avison Young lists key markets for midsize tenants as Indianapolis, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta. Between January 2017 to June 2019, Chicago tenants signed 872 industrial leases averaging about 111,629 sq. ft. In the same timeframe, Atlanta tenants signed 320 industrial leases with an average size of 113,243 sq. ft. Similarly, the average space for tenants in Dallas is recorded as 107,265 sq. ft. Indianapolis has offered some of the largest parcels with industrial tenants signing 41 leases averaging about 146,341 sq. ft. “Indianapolis’s stability, low cost of doing business, and central location are attractive to distribution tenants and investors alike,” explained Sean McHale, principal at Avison Young’s Indianapolis office in an interview with NREI. “We expect that rental rates will remain steady or rise slowly and cap rates will compress well into 2019.” Making Room for Last Mile Delivery Midsize boxes are in high demand due to an increased need for last mile delivery sites. The price for such spaces has increased from $59.56 per sq. ft. in June 2017 to $68.71 per sq. ft. in June 2019. “I think we are going to continue to see a focus on overlooked infill sites being repurposed to meet the needs of last mile logistic tenants,” reports Chris Nebenzahl, operations manager for Yardi Matrix. “These could be vacant retail centers and big box stores or outdated back office buildings.” He adds, “Last mile and ecommerce tenants are here to stay and getting much of the attention, but I wouldn’t...

Established in 2015, Shannon Commercial Properties (SCP) is a subsidiary of Shannon Group plc and provides commercial property solutions to commercial, industrial and aviation markets. The company owns and manages seven business and technology parks and has over 1.8 million square feet of office and industrial space, as well as approximately 1,600 acres of development land in over 40 locations across counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Kerry and Offaly in Ireland. “We are focused on expanding our property portfolio in the Mid West region with the provision of further third generation office and industrial facilities, primarily located in Shannon Free Zone West, beside Shannon Airport,” said Jennifer Kearns, finance manager for Shannon Commercial Properties. SCP adopted Yardi Voyager to improve business processes and to gain better control and visibility of operations in one system. The move from disparate systems enabled SCP to handle all aspects of portfolio management including lease management, reporting, budgeting, maintenance, and financials from a single database. Prior to adopting Yardi solutions, SCP was operating across six different management systems. Initially, a new structure was proposed which detailed a four-system approach: property management, financial management, debt management and document management. However, after further examination and detailed discussions with Yardi about the company’s key needs, it became apparent that SCP could streamline onto just one system, Yardi Voyager. “Streamlining onto a single system has allowed us operate with a more reliable set of data. Multiple systems had resulted in unreliable data, which had increased the potential for inaccurate reporting. Combined with the powerful reporting functionality with Voyager, SCP is far better positioned to make strategic decisions than previously,” said David Neylon, capital sales executive for SCP. Gaining control over workflows was a key driver in SCP’s move to Yardi Voyager. Voyager enables SCP...

Yardi contributed hugely to the success of the recent Realcomm ׀ IBCon conferences, an annual premier event in the commercial real estate industry, by showcasing innovative technologies that control revenue and expenses. Yardi focused on the benefits of Yardi Elevate, Yardi Kube and Yardi Pulse. These product suites blend business intelligence from Yardi Matrix with operational tools into a single connected platform that harmonizes leasing, deal management, tenant improvements, budgeting, construction management and other operations. Property owners can make better decisions, manage pipelines more efficiently and foster closer interaction between external brokers and asset managers. Rob Teel, Yardi senior vice president of global solutions noted in a live-streamed interview during Realcomm ׀ IBCon that property managers must manage revenue and expenses more actively than they did a decade ago to generate expected returns. “Success comes when teams work together to create an ecosystem of users who can collaborate to improve operational performance,” he said. Watch the full interview below: The solutions also give rise to new revenue streams from coworking membership arrangements, better forecasting capability, lower energy consumption and expenses without sacrificing occupant comfort, and budget and schedule certainty for construction projects. With their real-time connection to the Yardi Voyager property management and accounting database, they’re easier to use and more reliable than point solutions. “Yardi has extended solutions from the Yardi Voyager property management and accounting platform to encompass other elements, making property owners and managers more efficient,” Brian Sutherland, industry principal of global solutions, said in another live-streamed interview. Watch the full interview below: “Realcomm ׀ IBCon was a great opportunity for the Yardi team to connect with and learn from clients, vendors and other industry participants. The conference’s quality is second to none,” Teel said. Asked the secret of Yardi’s success, Sutherland said,...

Editor’s note: The following article by Kevin Yardi, vice president of consulting practices for Yardi, was originally printed as a Realcomm Advisory on May 31, 2019. It is reprinted here with permission. Various aspects of big data, AI and Machine Learning have been reported extensively in this space and elsewhere. I’ll use this opportunity to highlight some key points that I think are particularly important to helping the commercial real estate industry benefit from these capabilities. Just what are we talking about? “Big data” means large, complex data sets that most traditional software platforms can’t manage. AI refers to computer systems that can perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence. Machine learning, a form of AI that enables systems to “learn as they go” without being explicitly programmed, supports informed decision-making by assembling and analyzing property information more quickly and more accurately than other systems. The expansion of digital data availability, computing power and software enhancements, along with cheap storage, have made these options viable for commercial real estate. What are the commercial real estate benefits of AI and Machine Learning? AI and Machine Learning can give companies better-structured data that improves business performance. For example, AI systems can detect patterns in conditions affecting energy consumption without being requested, then optimize the target temperature every 30 seconds to ensure comfort without using more energy than necessary. They can also learn from past performance to react to changes in occupancy, weather and other factors. All this translates into better performance through lower utility, energy and equipment maintenance costs; increased tenant comfort that reduces service calls and increases retention; regulatory compliance; investor satisfaction; and higher ENERGY STAR® scores. In short, AI saves energy and money while creating more comfort than humans could do on their own. More...

A new national office property report from Yardi Matrix shows that asking rents rose by 1.1% in April 2019 over the previous three month period while robust absorption of new supply kept the vacancy rate unchanged at 13.7%. Office rents’ strength across the U.S. reflects “the continued health of the economy and the growth of the technology, health care and coworking segments,” according to the report. Nineteen of the 25 major markets covered in the report saw gains in asking rents over the past three months. Rent growth was strongest in markets with a healthy dose of “new economy” and technology tenants such as Austin, Texas, Brooklyn, N.Y., San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area, along with Tampa, Fla., and Nashville, Tenn. Only Chicago and Seattle saw declines of more than 1%. About 14.4 million square feet of office space came online through April, with Class A space accounting for about 90% of the total. Properties under construction represent a 2.9% growth of total inventory. “While it is early in the year and we expect the pace of deliveries to step up later in the year, so far in 2019 suburban construction has outpaced that in central business districts compared to last year,” the report says. Asking rents stood at $36.40 per square foot nationally in April. The vacancy rate was unchanged at 13.7%. Office property transactions valued at $19.8 billion closed in the first four months of the year. Want more insight? View the full Yardi Matrix national office report for May...