Josh Williams, senior vice president and director of investments out of Cullinan Properties’ Houston office, has been closely monitoring the leasing, development and sales activity for brick and mortar since our national emergence from the pandemic began. Below are the trends he sees, and where he believes this market is headed. Retail Insight: What would you say is the overarching trend in retail real estate right now? Williams: As we emerge from the pandemic, we are seeing a wide variety of retail assets returning to pre-2020 activity levels, all with one overarching …
Sarah Daniels
Successful companies looking to expand their brand know there is one location in Southern California that consistently beats the rest: the City of Moreno Valley. There’s a reason that companies like Sprouts, Raising Cane’s, Texas Roadhouse, Hilton, Capriotti’s and WoodSpring Suites are expanding in the city. They are supported by Moreno Valley’s second-to-none pro-business environment, a skilled and motivated workforce, strategic location and affordable lease rates. Fortune 500 and international companies are thriving in Moreno Valley, and here’s why. Location, Location, Location Situated at the junction of SR-60 and I-215, …
The popularity of property technology (prop tech) has expanded rapidly as retail owners and operators look for chances to streamline and improve their properties via data collection. However, says Sandy Sigal, president and CEO of NewMark Merrill, the hardest part of making prop tech useful isn’t collecting data. “The hard part about implementing prop tech successfully is making sure that the data is understandable, actionable and can be used by a wide array of people. It’s easy to be overwhelmed with data, and it can be very hard to draw …
The Necessity Retail REIT, Inc. has closed on the acquisition of 77 open-air shopping centers and two single-tenant service retail properties as part of a previously announced 81-property, $1.3 billion portfolio acquisition. A strategic rebranding in February from American Finance Trust reflects a continuing focus on the shopping habits of today’s consumer, says Michael Weil, CEO of The Necessity Retail REIT, Inc. “Where America Shops.” And where America shops, according to Weil, is in the suburbs. “Whether they’re on their way home from work or taking the kids to school, …
The city of Murrieta is a city on the grow — and for this area, the process of developing means expanding and deepening retail offerings, many of which are in the realm of experiential retail. The city is seeking to make a name for itself as it expands its offering for its residents and attracts visitors interested in family friendly fun, dining experiences and resorts that cater to relaxation. Located in Southwest Riverside County between Los Angeles and San Diego, Murrieta has a population of more than 118,000. The city …
Faris Lee: Retail Presents Attractive Opportunities Post-Pandemic
Multifamily and industrial may be the hottest product types for investors in today’s current market, but Jeff Conover and Shaun Riley, managing principals at Irvine, Calif.-based Faris Lee Investments, believe retail presents the optimum opportunity for achieving strong cash-on-cash yields for investors. “It comes down to one thing,” explains Conover. “Higher yield.” Triple-net leases also mean expenses get passed down to the tenant. Speaking of tenants, Riley notes that tenant rosters are stronger than ever nowadays. The pandemic culled the herd a bit, so to speak, but the tenants who …
Retail Investment Strengths Expected to Continue in 2022
A new influx of money taking aim at the retail sector made 2021 a strong year for investment sales in the category. Factors like continued inflow of capital, attractive yields, reduced fears about the disappearance of the 1031 exchange and the opportunities for deals indicate that 2022 will likely follow in 2021’s footsteps as a high-performing year. Don MacLellan, managing principal at Faris Lee, explains that since the beginning of the third quarter of last year, the company has seen a significant inflow of capital interested in retail investment properties, …
“Retail has one very serious advantage as an asset class — it provides a lot of data. However, very few people actually look at the data,” says Sandy Sigal, president and CEO of NewMark Merrill. Historically, gathering data required landlords and managers to physically visit sites, and data insights would likely have been skewed based on time of day for the visit, momentary traffic variables or incomplete sales reports. Today’s technology automatically captures much more complete data related to consumer demographics and behavior patterns. For today’s shopping center owners, the …
Retail, when it really boils down to it, is dictated by the almighty dollar. This, of course, means those who hold those dollars are in control. Consumers have been on quite the wild ride over the past 16 months, and sitting up front with them is the retail industry. “Brick and mortar will come back, but it’s going to come back differently,” says Richard Chichester, president and CEO of Irvine, Calif.-based Faris Lee Investments. “There is pent-up demand after a year of being shut down. The pandemic accelerated the emphasis …
The Colony, Texas — Located in the rapidly growing suburbs of Northern Dallas, Grandscape is currently one of the largest mixed-use development projects in the U.S., occupying more than 400 acres in The Colony, Texas. At full build-out, Grandscape will boast over 3 million square feet of retail, entertainment, dining, residential, office and attractions. Phase one of the lifestyle center is open and includes such attractions as the country’s largest home furnishings store, Nebraska Furniture Mart; entertainment anchors, Andretti Indoor Karting & Games and Galaxy Theatres; and the all-sports store, …