With the news that China has lifted travel bans, travelers from across the globe are gearing up to visit the country and provide a welcome cash injection for the Chinese tourism industry. At the same time, the greater Asia-Pacific (APAC) area is getting ready to receive an influx of Chinese nationals as they flock to neighboring countries for business and leisure.
While that’s good news on a number of economic levels, it’s also a tailwind for the APAC commercial real estate (CRE) industry. And, according to recent reports across the region, the two sectors that are anticipating the biggest benefits are multifamily and hospitality.
Apartment sales are on the up
Multifamily sales in Singapore, for example, are expected to improve, with some analysts anticipating a “more than 10% increase in the number of homes purchased by Chinese this year” in the city-state.
A recent article in the Australian Financial Review (AFR) adds that another possible effect of China’s reopening is an uptick in Australian apartment sales. AFR says: “At a time of little new apartment supply, Australia’s residential developers will benefit from returning demand from returning foreign migrants.”
AFR notes that luxury apartments in particular are likely to see elevated sales but states that overall Australia is “lower down the list of countries to directly benefit from China’s reopening.”
Tourism and hospitality boost
Countries like South Korea and Japan are expecting a bigger boost, especially from the tourism and hospitality sectors. Likewise in Thailand, hospitality is gearing up for a major influx of Chinese tourists, with Thai Deputy Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, stating:
“The arrival of tourists from China, as well as from countries around the world to Thailand is expected to increase continually. This is a good sign for Thailand’s tourism sector,” adding “…it will accelerate the economic recovery after our suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic for three years.”
The reopening is also a positive signal for the hospitality sector in many other South-East Asian countries, which have battled low hotel occupancy and slow revenue recovery over the last three years.
Worth noting, however, is that some APAC countries have introduced restrictive new travel policies regarding Chinese nationals, including Covid testing requirements, which could act as a headwind to recovery.
Economic ‘silver lining’
At the start of a year where murmurings of recession have kept economic prospects largely subdued, China’s reopening is a strong positive signal for the global economy.
“China’s sudden reopening is set to offer a boost to a flagging world economy. The growth impulse will be felt through services sectors such as aviation, tourism, and education as Chinese people pack their bags for international travel for the first time since the pandemic.”
New data from commercial real estate (CRE) data provider CRED iQ shows the delinquency rate for commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) continued its downward trend in June 2022, dipping to 3.30%, marginally down from 3.32% the previous month.
CRED iQ regularly monitors distressed rates and market performance for nearly 400 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) across the US, an enormous data set that includes some $900 billion in outstanding CRE debt.
Month-by-month improvements In the report, they’ve laid out distressed rates and month-over-month changes for the month of June 2022, for the 50 largest MSAs, as well as a breakdown by property type (see below). “Distressed rates (DQ + SS%),” they write, “include loans that are specially serviced, delinquent, or a combination of both.”
Standout areas Of the top 50 MSAs, some 43 showed month-over-month improvements “in the percentage of distressed CRE loans within the CMBS universe”. New Orleans (-9.57%) and Louisville (-3.41%) were two of the MSAs with the acutest declines [in distress rate] this month.
On the other end of the scale, Charlotte (+1.15%) and Virginia Beach (+1.12%) were among the seven MSAs showing increases in distress rates last month.
By property type “For a granular view of distress by market-sector”, the report also delves into distress by property type, which potentially holds strategic insight for regional commercial real estate professionals.
“Hotel and retail were the property types that contributed the most to the many improvements in distressed rates across the Top 50 MSAs,” they detail. “Loans secured by lodging and retail properties accounted for the 10 largest declines in distress by market-sector. This included the lodging sectors for New Orleans and Detroit as well as the retail sectors for Tampa and Cincinnati.”
SOCIAL: What data metrics do you find most useful for understanding the health of CRE in your region?
According to a recent report by Moody’s Analytics, the rest of 2022 might be the start of an economic rough patch as increasing risk factors boost market volatility. Moody’s states that economic risks and tightening monetary policy could translate into higher cap rates all the way into 2023.
Cap rate forecasts
The report also points out, however, that all is not equal in commercial real estate (CRE) markets, with sectors like hospitality, office and retail already showing signs of an increase in cap rates in response to rising interest rates. Multifamily and industrial cap rates have meanwhile remained steady in the face of uncertainty.
Worth noting is that the existing low cap rates seen in multifamily mean that an overall rise in cap rates will likely cause an increase for the sector. Put another way: “…sectors that have been transacting at very low cap rates have little place to go but up.”
Is a bump up inevitable?
Earlier this year, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) predicted only a modest rise in cap rates in 2022, counterbalanced by upward pressure in CRE prices. NAR notes that sales price growth has been on the up, especially for the industrial and multifamily sectors.
Moody’s Head of CRE Economic Analysis, Kevin Fagan, adds:
“There are strong opinions in the market both ways, that cap rates will go up significantly with rising rates, and others saying that cap rates will go down, and demand and expectations of rent growth will compress risk premiums.”
In a May 2022 interview with Wealth Management, Fagan added that the biggest headwinds currently facing US CRE are a combination of inflation, lower consumer expenditure and the risk of a recession.
Moody’s adds that, given the current economic climate, the chances of 2022 being a recession year have risen to 33%, while 2023 faces an “uncomfortable 50% probability” of a recession setting in.
Taking the long view
Though these predictions certainly add some uncertainty in the coming year, worth bearing in mind is that the outcome of the current volatility is far from set in stone. The way these factors play out in the CRE market remains to be seen.
For now, Moody’s takeaway prediction is that we should “expect to see more volatility in transaction and capital markets before we record pronounced effects on rents and vacancies.”
SOCIAL: Have you seen any movement in cap rates in your area? And what sectors do you think will be most affected?
Growing up in a small town in western Pennsylvania meant that I wasn’t necessarily on the cutting edge of technology. Any new electronics took months if not years to trickle down and even then would usually mean a trip to bigger cities such as Youngstown or Pittsburgh to track down. A great example is the LED watch. It was initially developed in 1971 and became widely available by the mid-1970s. But it wasn’t until Darrell Knight showed up sporting one on his wrist right after Christmas break of 1978 that I actually saw one, live and in person.
The use of technology in real estate seems to follow a similar path, with innovations taking months, if not years, to be integrated into the industry. This month, we are going to discuss some ways, specifically in the area of smart buildings, that technology has finally begun to make a big impact.
Air quality
While certain sectors, such as medical and clean manufacturing, have been driving advances in clean air filtration and monitoring, the advent of COVID- 19 has placed a spotlight on this topic. The result is a whole ecosystem of products and strategies known as IAQ, or indoor air quality. The most common IAQ technologies revolve around higher-efficiency filters. Humidification and dehumidification systems have also become much more advanced, helping to control dust and mold while maintaining comfort. More advanced systems assist with heat and energy recovery ventilators to offset the increasingly “air- tight” nature of modern construction, as well as UV purifiers to neutralize airborne bacteria and viruses.
Voice-and touch-activated tech
Again, this type of technology received a huge boost in the wake of COVID-19. If you have ever used systems such as Alexa, Siri or Google, you are already well aware of the power and convenience voice-activation can offer. And while touch-activated technologies have been around for decades, the overwhelming popularity of smartphones and apps are leading to more advanced applications. In the commercial real estate sector, it’s no surprise that the hotel sector has taken the lead implementing this type of technology, ranging from speaking to control lights, temperature and entertainment to accessing the room and ordering room service from your smartphone. And don’t look now but many larger commercial property owners are beginning to integrate these same technologies, offering them to their tenants as a standard building amenity.
Smart parking
This may seem like something reserved for only big cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
In the commercial real estate sector, it’s no surprise that the hotel sector has taken the lead implementing [voice activation] technology, ranging from speaking to control lights, temperature and entertainment to accessing the room and ordering room service from your smartphone.
And these cities certainly began adopting technologies years ago, with the advent of apps such as SpotHero and ParkWhiz, which allow parking operators to maxi- mize their occupancy through digital notification, reservation and even sub- leasing processes. But if you’ve ever parked in the decks at Hopkins airport, you’ve probably seen another, even sim- pler example that uses a small green or red light above each space, allowing potential parkers to quickly differentiate vacant spots from occupied spots
Energy efficient systems
This can fall into two categories:
1) systems that optimize energy via continual monitoring and 2) clean or renewable energy features. The former is the real heavyweight when it comes to smart building design and is mainly based on the autonomic cycle of data analysis tasks (ACODAT) concept. Basically, the HVAC systems have a central processor that continually monitors usage, time of day, outside air temperature, building occupancy and a host of other factors to not only be reactive in running the HVAC system at peak efficiency but also be predictive by learning patterns over days, weeks and months. The latter includes a host of advances in technologies such as heat pumps and geothermal systems as well as solar- and wind-enabled sources.
The most common acknowledgement of building technology is a certification known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), through the U.S. Green Building Council. A similar certification is known as the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) rating. Both of these involve achieving points related to set standards that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health and indoor environmental quality. There are many examples of LEED-certified buildings in Northeast Ohio, including the Maltz Performing Arts Center at Case Western Reserve University, UH Avon Health Center and the Children’s Museum of Cleveland, among hundreds of others.
And there have been many noteworthy projects worldwide, including the following high-achieving facilities.
OaklandCityCenter(Oakland,CA)
Developed by Siemens, the build- ing contains a variety of dynamic and artificial intelligence to power its operation. A noteworthy feature is an advanced air volume system that can put the entire building into “green mode,” which is a setting that uses aggregated historical data to optimize humidity, air pressure and temperature. It also has a decontamination mode that raises the temperature to acceler- ate the decay of airborne virus particles.
CiscoSystemsCanadaHQ(Toronto)
This was the first building in Toronto to be rated as a LEED Core and Shell Platinum building. It links up Cisco’s business operations and helps to power Cisco’s Internet of Everything (IoE) while also streamlining all building data into a single network.
Mitie (London)
Arguably the most striking example of the IoE in smart buildings, the Mitie building uses automated alarms, remote systems management, machine learn- ing and data analytics to achieve a 95% accuracy rate for predictive main- tenance calls and a 3% improvement of energy usage by clients.
By the time we hit high school, Darrell Knight’s simple, push-button, red-hued LED watch had been eclipsed by a series of LCD watches that integrated features like alarms (with music, no less), stop watches and the ability to track multiple time zones. And while today’s smart buildings have shown great advances over the last two decades, the pace of technology promises to have an even greater impact on this sector.
Those keeping track of our ongoing Top Tech series will know that this regular blog is aimed at highlighting some of NAI’s key tech partners and the game-changing solutions they bring to the commercial real estate (CRE) space. These are not sponsored blogs, but rather a way for us to share tools, technology, and ideas that are changing CRE for the better and streamlining and improving the services we offer.
This month’s partner is Apollo Energies. Below we discuss their approach to creating carbon-free properties and helping clients hit ambitious Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals.
What does Apollo Energies do?
The starting point for Apollo’s commercial services is typically an energy audit that helps clients determine the best way to streamline their building’s operations and bump up energy efficiency. Apollo also advises clients on how to meet safety, health, and wellbeing requirements in line with today’s ESG standards.
Essential ESG
In recent years, there’s been an increasing push for corporate entities to meet sustainability commitments and to be able to show their progress. ESG criteria, which detail the goals these companies must meet, are also being used by investors and the public to evaluate the impact that company has on society and the environment.
With a focus on the ‘E’ of ESG, Apollo aims to help its partners meet the right goals, and lower their own energy spend in a clearly documented and reportable way. Their approach includes evaluating carbon emissions from a company’s operations, reducing carbon tied to power use, and assessing the carbon impact of the enterprise’s supply chains.
They also work with clients to meet benchmarks for Energy Star® certification, identifying their buildings as top performers in energy efficiency and ESG accountability.
Tangible results
The results of this focus and dedication are certainly impressive, and one of the reasons Apollo are a top choice among NAI brokerages across the country. At time of writing, the company has improved some 52 million square feet of building space and saved nearly 7.5 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy across their client base.
For a breakdown of their approach to ESG, have a look at their article here, or visit their commercial energy audits page for details on the Apollo approach to carbon-free CRE.
SOCIAL: With the demand for energy-efficient real estate on the rise, what tools or consultants are your go-to when planning energy-smart initiatives?
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