Sperry Van Ness International Corporation’s (SVNIC) 2015 Market Update Reports assess the current state of the national commercial real estate market, and identify micro-trends within specific geographic regions and industries for 2015. Today we are delving into the 2015 Top Office Markets to Watch. Not the largest or the most actively contested markets, the 2015 Office Markets to Watch are each at an important juncture that presents unique opportunities for investment. Together, they reflect the diversity of trends that is driving the economy and commercial real estate performance in markets across the country.
Top Office Market to Watch: Boston, MA
By almost any measure, 2014 was a banner year for the Boston office market. Overall vacancy in the Boston metro area dropped to its lowest level since the dot-com boom. Asking rents in East Cambridge reached all-time record highs, with biotech companies and tech giants competing for space near the academic heart of the submarket. Across the metro area, asking rents in the office sector increased by just over 10% during 2014, and are on track for a comparable result in 2015. Contrasting its peer markets, leasing and rent growth was particularly strong in the suburban submarkets.
Boston has nearly 5 million square feet of office space under construction, but a significant share of those projects are single-tenant build-to-suit. In the multi-tenant market, the current balance of supply and demand echoes the frenzied pace of leasing in San Francisco’s office market. For small- and mid-cap investors making price comparisons with Manhattan and San Francisco, Boston offers investors comparatively cheap opportunities with average cap rates in the upper-end of the 5.5% to 6.0% range.
To read more on Boston and other top office markets, download the full version of the 2015 Office Market Update report here.
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