Martens Companies 

CRE outlook stronger despite supply chain challenges

Since April 2020, the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) has been keeping track of the pandemic’s impact on CRE with their regular COVID Impact surveys. NAIOP’s June 2021 survey collected data from 239 US-based members, including brokers, building managers and owners, and real estate developers. A recurring theme in this latest survey was the increasing challenges commercial real estate (CRE) is navigating associated with supply chain disruptions and materials costs. Supply and delayWith more than 86% of developers reporting delays or materials shortages, it seems the impact…

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Martens Companies 

Giving Back: Awareness Camp

TMC Accountant Heather VanKampen took three days off work earlier this month to volunteer for Awareness Camp, a free, fun-filled day camp for first through eighth graders hosted by the Boy Scouts of America, Quivira Council. The camp is for kids who have not yet experienced scouts and all who attend receive a free membership to BSA for the rest of the year. Attendees got to participate in a large variety of activities, including: fishing, paddle boating, water kickball, capture the flack, ICT rock painting and more. The Wichita Fire…

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Martens Companies 

4 Predictions for Holiday Shopping in 2020

‘Tis the season… but this year, everything is different. As we flew past Halloween and move towards Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Christmas, all eyes are locked on retail. After such a hectic year, what will this season’s holiday shopping look like? The 2019-2020 Shift Last year, even with e-commerce activity at an all-time high, eager shoppers still flooded to stores and malls to do their gift shopping. Despite tons of Cyber Monday shopping, Black Friday’s turnout was impressive across the country. 2019’s holiday shopping season marked a positive direction for…

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Martens Companies 

Fed Beige Book: Commercial real estate conditions continued to deteriorate in many Districts

Overall Economic ActivityEconomic activity continued to increase across all Districts, with the pace of growth characterized as slight to modest in most Districts. Changes in activity varied greatly by sector. Manufacturing activity generally increased at a moderate pace. Residential housing markets continued to experience steady demand for new and existing homes, with activity constrained by low inventories. Banking contacts also cited increased demand for mortgages as the key driver of overall loan demand. Conversely, commercial real estate conditions continued to deteriorate in many Districts, with the exception being warehouse and…

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NAI Martens 

5 Things to Know About Opportunity Zones Right Now

The coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly shaken up every market in the country. While all eyes are on Class A cities to see how the very best in the game are faring during these times, other locations aren’t getting much consideration. In the middle of all of this market-madness, how are opportunity zones doing right now? Opportunity Zones 101 Opportunity zones are officially defined as “economically-distressed communities where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.” This system was introduced with the 2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs…

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NAI Martens 

7 Trends in Industrial Architecture Design to Watch

Commercial real estate’s industrial sphere has been a winner in the business for years now. Often called the ‘golden child’ of commercial real estate, industrial spaces seem to thrive even when everything else is facing challenges. It’s becoming increasingly clear that warehousing is the way of the future. Riding on the back of e-commerce alone, the industrial space is set up for success. But, in preparation for the anticipated growth, warehouses are undergoing a contemporary makeover. Here are the latest architectural design trends that are impacting the warehousing scene: Increasing…

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NAI Martens 

3 Reasons Student Housing has Proved Resilient

Despite all odds, commercial real estate’s student housing sector is faring quite well in these difficult times. As a result of the pandemic, schools and colleges all over the country canceled in-person classes and transitioned into an e-learning model until further notice. Campus amenities are closed, classes took place over Zoom calls, and dormitories closed to mitigate the potential transmission of the coronavirus. For all of these new protocols, there’s no end in sight as the entire country is suspended in a state of uncertainty regarding how to move forward.…

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NAI Martens 

Uber is Buying Postmates and More from the Food Delivery Space

In 2020, food delivery services are thriving. The demand for outsourced meal delivery solutions surged as the coronavirus pandemic shut down indoor dining while stay-at-home orders urged people to opt for to-your-door delivery services. UberEats, Postmates, GrubHub, DoorDash, and other services stood as staples during the pandemic. But, as users are depending on their favorite services more than ever before, the market is getting smaller as companies collide. Uber recently announced a $2.65 billion deal to purchase Postmates. This acquisition marks the largest merger for the food delivery industry at…

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NAI Martens 

Is Housing the Next Play for Vacant Malls?

Long live the American mall. These dreamy retail hubs were once bustling scenes of activity, fun, and commerce. If you needed to shop, you went to the nearest mall. There was no question, no contest, and no real competitors. The mall was the golden child of the US retail footprint. But that was years ago. Today’s mall scene has turned bleak as brick and mortar retail has fallen to the wayside in light of e-commerce. The vacancy rate of malls reached the highest point in 2 decades this year. And,…

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NAI Martens 

Here’s Why We’re Watching the Self Storage Space

The self-storage sector has immense promise for commercial real estate. These spaces are resilient, in high demand, and fit seamlessly into the needs of contemporary society. As people become more transient and hold off on purchasing a home, storage space becomes a necessity – and the proof is in the numbers. In 2019, the vacancy rate for self-storage was only 9.9% and was projected to only climb to 10.0% in 2020.  Evidently, self-storage units are attending to today’s pain points while pushing forward in the commercial scene. The expansion and…

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