The demand for U.S. commercial property and U.S. commercial real estate – including Philadelphia commercial real estate listings – rebounded in the second quarter of 2015 following slower-than-expected net absorption in the first three months of the year as businesses continued to add office jobs and to lease space.
Net absorption – both nationally and for the key segments of Philadelphia office space, Philadelphia retail space and Philadelphia industrial space – roared to 25 million square feet in the second quarter, according to a report from the Co-Star Group provided by Philadelphia commercial real estate brokerage firm Wolf Commercial Real estate, a leading Philadelphia commercial real estate broker. This growth was the second-highest jump in quarterly demand since 2006 and was more than double the 12 million square feet absorbed during the first quarter.
After years of slow and steady increases in office supply, the level of office space under construction on the office space portions of both the U.S. commercial property and the U.S. commercial real estate markets reached 124 million square feet in the second quarter, the highest total since 2009 and slightly eclipsing the 15-year average of 122 million square feet. This total included a number of Philadelphia commercial real estate listings.
Rent growth reached a 4% annual rate in the first half of 2015, while the national office vacancy rate declined 20 basis points to 11.2%. This decline was reflected as well in surveys of Philadelphia office space, Philadelphia retail space and Philadelphia industrial space as reported by Philadelphia commercial real estate brokerage firm Wolf Commercial Real estate, a leading Philadelphia commercial real estate broker. Nationwide, the 27 million square feet of new office space deliveries in the first half of 2015 exceeded the historical first-half average of 21 million square feet, reflecting a relatively healthy office market and broader economy.
“We’re at a supply/demand balance, which is a real sweet spot in the market cycle for the office market,” said, Co-Star Group, Inc. Director of U.S. Research Walter Page. An all-time high of 63% of the 2,000 office submarkets that make up the U.S. commercial property and the U.S. commercial real estate markets, and which includes a number of Philadelphia commercial real estate listings, now show improving vacancies, with 48% of the metro markets now reporting lower vacancies than they did at the peak of the market during 2006-07.
Vacancies across the nation and for Philadelphia office space, Philadelphia retail space and Philadelphia industrial space now are dropping, even among 3-Star office properties, a sign that recovery is accelerating in the lower end of the office quality spectrum.
That said, tenants continue to demand higher-quality space, a trend that also has been noted by Philadelphia commercial real estate brokerage firm Wolf Commercial Real estate, a leading Philadelphia commercial real estate broker. Year-over-year demand growth remains weak at 0.6% for 3-Star buildings, according to the Co-Star report, as compared to 2.4% for 4- and 5-Star buildings, with tenants willing to pay a 41% rent premium for newer, higher-end buildings over lesser 3-Star assets.
For more information about Philadelphia office space, Philadelphia industrial space, Philadelphia retail space or other Philadelphia commercial or investment properties, please call 215-799-6900 to speak with Jason Wolf (jason.wolf@wolfcre.com) or Leor Hemo(leor.hemo@wolfcre.com) or Lee Fein (lee.fein@wolfcre.com) at Wolf Commercial Real Estate, a premier Philadelphia commercial real estate broker that specializes in Philadelphia office space.
Wolf Commercial Real Estate is a Philadelphia commercial real estate brokerage firm that provides a full range of Philadelphia commercial real estate listings and services, marketing commercial offices, medical properties, industrial properties, land properties, retail buildings and other Philadelphia commercial properties for buyers, tenants, investors and sellers.
Wolf Commercial Real Estate, a Philadelphia commercial real estate broker with extensive expertise in Philadelphia commercial real estate listings, provides unparalleled expertise in matching companies and individuals seeking new Philadelphia office space or new Philadelphia retail space with the Philadelphia commercial properties that best meets their needs. As experts in Philadelphia commercial real estate listings and services, the team at our Philadelphia commercial real estate brokerage firm provides ongoing detailed information about Philadelphia commercial properties to our clients and prospects to help them achieve their real estate goals. If you are looking for Philadelphia office space or Philadelphia retail space for sale or lease, Wolf Commercial Real Estate is the Philadelphia commercial real estate broker you need — a strategic partner who is fully invested in your long-term growth and success.
