Modular Is Poised For Greatness — If Only CRE Understood How To Use It
Nationally, modular construction accounts for just about 5% of all commercial construction, per the Modular Building Institute. But it is gathering strength, and market value for modular in new real estate construction could hit $130B in Europe and the U.S. in the next decade, according to McKinsey & Co. In New York City, where real… Read more »
VC Giant Plans $200M Fund To Back Real Estate Tech That Fights Climate Change
The biggest venture capital firm in PropTech is planning a fund to back firms that are creating technology that will help the real estate sector reduce its carbon footprint. Fifth Wall said last week it is looking to raise $200M for its Carbon Impact Fund. It said the built environment is the single-largest contributor to… Read more »
The Death of a Co-working Startup Highlights User Experience vs. Unit Economics
Stroll through any major city in the United States and you’re sure to find an excess of completely built out, potentially useful, vacant spaces. Whether it’s a restaurant only open for dinner or a vacant retailer, there is no lack of finished, usable space. Spacious saw these vacancies as opportunities and sought to occupy them… Read more »
The 50 biggest NYC office sales of 2019
2019 turned into a pretty good year for New York City’s investment sales sector. Rising rents stoked investors appetite not only in Manhattan, but in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. And tech giants Amazon, Google and Facebook continue to expand their presence in the city, signaling to investors that the industry is thriving in the… Read more »

Amazon distribution center planned for Carle Place site
Developers are planning to convert a former retail site in Carle Place into a distribution center for Amazon. The 7.4-acre site at 2 Westbury Ave. was formerly occupied by a 56,000-square-foot Waldbaum’s supermarket that has been shuttered and vacant for more than four years. Long Island Business News Photo by Amazon

After Historic Low, What’s Next for Net Lease Cap Rates?
Cap rates remain at low levels due to the historically low interest rate environment combined with a robust economy. Despite the decrease in cap rates, the spread between asking and closed cap rates for retail and office properties widened by 6 and 2 basis points respectively. Real estate investors believe we are in the late… Read more »
Resident and Tenant Retention Strategies for 2020
For managers of commercial and residential buildings, retaining tenants and residents is a perennial item on the to-do list. Whether it’s adding new high-tech features or fine-tuning procedures, the time is right to take a hard look at retention strategies for 2020. Owners and property managers must continuously ask themselves a crucial question: What’s the… Read more »
Real estate seeks changes to city’s green buildings bill
In four years, tens of thousands of buildings in New York City will need to meet strict carbon emission caps. But landlords are hopeful that key changes will be made before then. Local Law 97, enacted in May 2019, is part of a push for a 40 percent reduction in citywide emissions by 2030 and… Read more »
Manhattan Office Market Soared To Record Levels Again Last Year
Thanks to several monster lease deals and healthy job growth, a total of nearly 43M SF of office leases were signed in Manhattan in 2019, according to figures from Colliers International. That is the highest level since 2001 and almost 3% higher than 2018, itself a stellar leasing year. Leasing activity was 15% above the… Read more »

Brooklyn Office 4Q: Rents remain constant as new developments enter the market
In the Brooklyn office market in 4Q 2019, the average asking rent ended the fourth quarter at $52.33/SF, down 0.9% from the prior quarter but still 0.7% higher from this time last year, according to a report on the Brooklyn Office Market (4Q) from Newmark Knight Frank. The availability rate rose 30 basis points to… Read more »