Markets to Watch Shanghai, China — Normally a thriving office market, Shanghai office demand slowed in 3Q08 due to the global economic slump. With vacancies reaching 9.8 percent, prime rental rates stayed flat at 9.9 renminbi ($1.44) per square meters

Markets to WatchJapan – The highest rates reported since December 2004, vacancy rates for class A and class S (class A landmark properties) in Tokyo rose to 3.5 percent and 6.0 percent, respectively, in 4Q08, reports CB Richard Ellis. The

Listen to this article's accompanying podcast. While stories of plummeting transaction volumes, staggering value declines, and scarce funding plague the commercial real estate industry, the multifamily sector has managed to keep a steady course throughout the economic turbulence. And there’s

Office Darrin L. Boyd, CCIM, and David A. Moore, CCIM, of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker in Indianapolis represented Brookfield Asset Management in the 10 year, more than $2.7 million lease of 17,968 sf of office space in Indianapolis to Royal

Best Retail BuyA recent survey of retail market participants revealed that the grocery anchored center is the most favored product type assuming the property contains the area’s dominant grocer has good demographics and not too much competition is not

Industrial BIG Deal J. Jeffrey Castell, CCIM, of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker in Indianapolis and Kevin H. Huchingson, CCIM, of Colliers Dickson Flake Partners in Little Rock, Ark., represented Caterpillar in the more than $25 million purchase of a 715,000

Daniel Canvasser, CCIM, of Grubb & Ellis Co. in Southfield, Mich., has been promoted to office group senior associate.  Donald Catalano, CCIM, president of Corporate Realty Consultants in Commack, N.Y., donated a van to the Disabled American Veterans Association.Charles C.

Fuel Economizer PLX Devices' Kiwi plugs into a car's on board diagnostic port and analyzes vehicle speed, rpm, engine load, and oxygen sensor readings, allowing drivers to modify their habits and

From left Michael R. Shelton, CCIM, Steven W. Moreira, CCIM, Julie LaBelle, CCIM, Philip T. Spinney, CCIM, Brian Stoll, and Fred Passarelli. In summer 2004, commercial real estate was

While we have watched Wall Street and auto industry executives ask the U.S. Congress for financial bailouts, the commercial real estate industry continues to suffer from its own paralyzing crisis. The severity of the capital markets freeze gives new urgency

Although disarray in the lending markets has inhibited commercial property acquisition nationally, opportunities to acquire distressed properties, especially in the multifamily sector, abound. However, before hurrying into a deal, prospective buyers should take protective measures to guard against the inherent

OfficeMatthew T. McKeever, CCIM, of Cushman & Wakefield in Orlando, Fla., represented Orlando Sentinel Communications Co. in the more than 5 year, more than $2 million lease of 15,000 sf of office space in Orlando to an undisclosed lessee. John

Adding green features to to commercial real estate properties has become a mainstream trend in the industry. And while all major property sectors have jumped on the green bandwagon, several niche markets also are beginning to realize the benefits of

The commercial mortgage backed securities market, which in recent years represented up to 66 percent of all commercial loans, has ceased to exist. This means the universe of commercial real estate debt currently outstanding now must be squeezed into a

Briefly Noted Hospitality &mdash More than half of hotel investors surveyed plan to hold their assets for the short term, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels&rsquo year end Hotel Investor Sentiment Survey. Interest in buying declined to 32 percent, the

CCIM Institute has teamed up with ESRI, a private geographic information systems and mapping software company, to launch a new commercial property information exchange portal that allows institute members to enter all their property information into a database just once

In our current economy, it’s important that commercial investment real estate professionals devise a new business plan to survive, both now and in the future. Currently, business planning is less about expansion and more about survival as customers, vendors, and

As Charles Dickens once wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” In a career that exceeds 27 years, this transaction rates as the most difficult, psychologically exhausting, intellectually stimulating, messy, and dare I say

The world in terms of acquiring multifamily properties has changed a great deal since last fall. Debt and equity providers have made major adjustments in their expectations and underwriting criteria. But multifamily borrowers are fortunate that Fannie Mae and Freddie

As predicted, 2008 was not an easy year for CCIMs. But despite the challenges, they still closed transactions in every commercial real estate sector and in every U.S. region. Commercial Investment Real Estate received more than $3.4 billion in deals

From asbestos to lead based paint, environmental problems and their associated risks always have been a concern in the commercial real estate industry. Today, property owners and investors can add vapor intrusion to that list of worries. An indoor air

In today’s tight credit market, multifamily owners and developers are challenged with finding financing that works now as well as in the uncertain future. In such turbulent times, the Federal Housing Administration loan programs serve as good, reliable sources of

CCIM Q&A Written Results Sellers respond to this CCIM&rsquo s comprehensive offers. Jan.Feb.09 Investment Analysis Exchange Your Strategy Investors should consider alternatives to 1031 transactions. Nov.Dec.08 Group Investment Insights A survey of CCIMs reveals the latest trends in syndication management.

As the national overview indicates, multifamily is still an active property sector however, financing for transactions remains difficult. In this regional roundup, CCIMs nationwide share strategies for securing multifamily financing in their markets. New York "It's important to be aligned

What's a transaction broker to do? In 2008, commercial real estate deals were down 71 percent from 2007, according to Jones Lang LaSalle. Total 2008 volume was only $126 billion, far below 2007's market peak of $437 billion. " This