CPE’s September 2020 Must-Reads

October 7, 2020

Catch up on our most important stories, interviews, rankings and analyses from last month.

Six months into the pandemic and it’s clear its effects are widespread and prolonged, especially for the retail and hospitality sectors, which have been disproportionately hit by the COVID-19 crisis. One thing we learned last month is that, even as total retail sales rebounded in June, the vast majority of locations expected to close in the U.S. due to the coronavirus consist of small retailers. Additionally, in spite of outstanding growth in online shopping, retail-to-logistics conversion rates are likely to be low and time frames to be long, according to a Prologis study. And while IKEA’s parent company plans to transform a 250,000-square-foot San Francisco retail property into its first mixed-use shopping center in the country, other brands continue to struggle. Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Partners reached a deal to acquire JCPenney out of bankruptcy.

Although California imposed new restrictions to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus, most of the country did not follow suit. And while construction activity picked up pace in the third quarter, it’s still lagging the levels seen in previous years. A new Associated General Contractors of America survey found that a majority of general contractors have seen a project postponed or canceled because of the current health crisis. This can result in additional construction financing challenges for developers nationwide.

But there are some companies that have seen a positive impact from the pandemic. Among them, tech giants stand out. Amazon has leased two upcoming developments totaling 2 million square feet of office space across four towers in downtown Bellevue, Wash. Meanwhile, in Stone Mountain, Ga., Seefried Industrial Properties expanded its list of projects developed for Amazon with the completion of a new 640,000-square-foot fulfillment center. Facebook also doubled down on its expansion plans with the acquisition of a recently completed corporate campus in Bellevue, Wash., in addition to a $1 billion investment into its existing Georgia data center campus.

Here are CPE’s must-reads for last month:

Podcast: More Women Aspire to the C-Suite, CREW Network Study Finds

How far have women in real estate advanced over the past two decades? In a new podcast, CEO Wendy Mann reveals the striking findings of the organization’s latest benchmark study.

10 Fastest-Growing Commercial Property Management Companies of 2020

The Top 10 Fastest-Growing Commercial Property Management Companies of 2020 utilized self-reported data for all firms.

Office Leasing to Recover by 2025, Cushman & Wakefield Report Predicts

The study expects office sector recovery to be slow, but employment will eventually help spur improvements in absorption, vacancy and rental rates.

CMBS Delinquency Rate Declines Again, Trepp Finds

The Trepp CMBS delinquency rate for August dropped to 9.08 percent from 9.6 percent in July.

Rent Collection High In Most Asset Types, Marcus & Millichap Finds

While in some sectors more than 95 percent of tenants are meeting their rent obligations, some retail assets continue to struggle.

Colony Capital to Sell $2.8B Hospitality Portfolios

Highgate Hotels will take over 197 properties totaling 22,676 keys in one of the sector’s largest deals since the start of the pandemic.

Willy Walker on Q2 Results, What’s Ahead

Walker & Dunlop’s chairman & CEO talks about his wildly popular webcast and his strategy to bring in new business during a pandemic.

Manufactured Housing Stays Strong in Tough Times

Hunt Real Estate Capital’s Chad Hagwood on financing options for investors and what’s ahead for rental rates.

Management in the Time of COVID-19: 3 Key Considerations

With the long-term ripple effect on business yet to be determined, management strategies need to be innovative and evolving in these critical areas, says Steven Caligor of BHI.

#MustReads