The demise of office space is over exaggerated… If you look at our team’s business, we continued to close a transaction every 2 days over the last quarter. C2 is representing, touring, negotiating, and closing deals. –We would love to work with you. –We know the market….todays’ market. –We have insider information on deal terms … Continue reading Strong Start to 2023
This week we have an exciting episode of Ten on One with Maria Luna, the fabulous Co-Founder of Famigo, a mobile app for artists and creators. She riffs on starting a business, being a female founder, and how her mother helped drive her to succeed. It’s a conversation worth 10 minutes of your time, but … Continue reading Ten on One- Minority Owned Start-up Business Thoughts from the Front Lines
The world of Commercial Real Estate is complex, and filled with jargon — both serious and comical. To help you navigate, we’ve put together a glossary of Commercial Real Estate terms everyone should know — with an extra fun spin. 🙂 (Don’t worry, we’ve put a little logo on the funny ones in case you … Continue reading CRE Terms Everyone Should Know
No matter what sector of real estate you focus on, E-Commerce affects us all. Its disruption of the commercial real estate world has accelerated exponentially due to COVID-19’s effects on our shopping behavior. This disruption is forcing property owners, especially industrial and retail, to re-think how they “maximize” the sites they own. It’s also spilling … Continue reading Development Strategies for Maximizing E-Commerce Demand
It’s happening — companies are doing all they can to get employees back to the office! But at the same time they understand that hybrid work and downsizing is here to stay…or is it? This is a scary unknown for business owners, so how do they hedge their bets? Enter the “Spec Suite.” Over the … Continue reading Spec Suite Scorecard
Ten minutes with Jeff Rinkov, CEO and Chairman of the Board, Lee & Associates. Our Leader. We sat down to discuss how we are growing our company and what makes us different.–Bigger, publicly traded CRE companies are focused on growing predictable revenue….CRE brokerage commissions are not that predictable. –How is Lee growing: – NFL cities – Diversification … Continue reading Ten on One- Growing a CRE Brokerage Company
The Metro office market continues to trudge along its own path of an extended (up and down, circular) recovery. Direct vacancy actually decreased slightly to 17.5%, 500 basis points lower than our 20-year average. Meanwhile, average asking rates actually increased by $0.46/SF per year between Q3 and Q4. However, net absorption, the most critical indicator of market … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Market Update: Q4 2022
It’s no shock that a recent McKinsey study showed that workers want more flexibility in their work. (See below for more) What was shocking is that today 58% of people surveyed are now being offered some flexibility in their work—that is 92 million Americans. This is a structural change in how we work, hire, build … Continue reading Accept the Workplace Change–Flexible Work
2022 flew by. Before the year gets away from us, we wanted to say thank you for helping us succeed. Reflecting on our transactions, our relationships, and our business over the past year, I have these few takeaways: –We are blessed to have fantastic clients. While the office market is still in a sandstorm for … Continue reading C2 By The Numbers
In our latest Ten on One podcast, we spend 10 minutes with James Murphy, CEO of Willmeng Construction. Willmeng has been one of the most active general contractors in all of Arizona over the past decade, with incredible data points. Here are a few takeaways from our talk on construction pricing, particularly tenant improvements: — Don’t … Continue reading Ten on One- Construction (Tenant Improvement) Pricing
Historically, the Metro Phoenix Office Market would most accurately be describe as a “Field of Dreams” market…”If you build it, they will come.” In this case, Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) is plowing down cotton fields to throw up Class A office space in the hopes that “Shoeless Joe” aka AAA Credit Tenant comes along to … Continue reading Build-to-Suit Development Process
Over the past 18-24 months, our C2 Voice has been writing about the systemic change in office space working norms. The Wall Street Journal has printed a piece that does a great job summarizing all the issues that face workers, owners, corporations, and managers (see full article below my comments). There is a war going … Continue reading Why Employees are Clashing with their Bosses on One Issue After Another
Yes, we’re talking about remote work again. More and more employees want to work from home, and it’s clear why. More flexible hours, no commute, comfort, there are many benefits for flexible work. The trick for employers who need their workers back in the office is figuring out how to make their space appealing to … Continue reading How To Make the Office Like Home
We were on the road A LOT in 2022. We encourage everyone on the Coppola-Cheney team to travel. AND travel we did this year. Take a look at our 2-minute holiday card for photos of some of the very cool places we got to see. We love our team. We love our life. We love … Continue reading 2022 Holiday Video–Our Travels this Year
The third quarter of 2022 was active…very active. We closed 27 deals in 90 days and went over 100 deals completed in 2022. We continue to close a deal every 2-3 days, rain or shine. What does that mean for you? 1—We know the market 2—We know the best terms 3—We can help you If … Continue reading A Very Active 3rd Quarter
This month’s Ten on One episode is packed with relevant information on what is currently happening with Commercial Real Estate development. Featuring Molly Ryan Carson, Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development and Market Leader for Ryan Co’s Southwest Region, we dive into the key trends and developments we are seeing right now. Here are … Continue reading Ten on One – Commercial Development with Molly Ryan Carson
The evolution of hybrid work continues as companies move on from the pandemic. While work from home (WFH) satisfies many, the allure of work from anywhere (WFA) may seem like a dream scenario. The article below from The Economist takes a closer look at the realities of completely untethered work. It’s important for employers and Landlords to understand … Continue reading Will Work from Anywhere Work?
We have been representing commercial tenants for almost 40 years. We are grateful that over 80% of our business comes from repeat clients. The rest are referrals. For the past 9 years, Andrew and I have been writing this C2 Voice, providing insights into the evolving market, new trends, and fascinating ideas. We have loved … Continue reading A Favor To Ask…
A few years ago, I sent out a C2 Voice on the Arizona water situation. I thought I would give an update on the status of water rights as we are now experiencing the first cut in Colorado River water in our history. Here are a few points to know: —Only 36% of Arizona water comes from … Continue reading Arizona Water Update
These are the crazy times in CRE. I have been leasing office space for 38 years and have NEVER seen the discrepancy in Office vs Industrial so great. It’s a tale of two markets for sure. Below, find a list of Office and Industrial buildings under construction as of Q2 2022. The difference between Office … Continue reading Office vs. Industrial 2022
In our latest Ten on One podcast, we spend 10 minutes with John Orsak, Vice President of Development at Lincoln Property Company, Desert Southwest. John oversees a huge office portfolio in Phoenix, putting him in the market seven days a week. He is in the know in all things office. Here are a few nuggets … Continue reading Ten on One- Latest Office Leasing Trends
For all of you holding out, it is time to accept Work-From-Home as mainstream. We think some version of this is here to stay, and while it may have peaked during the pandemic (check out my narrative on how a recession will impact WFH), it is something that all executives will have to take into … Continue reading Work-From-Home Explained
The Metro Phoenix Office Market hit a small speedbump in Q3 on the path to recovery. After posting a big net absoption in Q2 of +918,413 SF, Q3 slipped to -81,621 SF. This puts year-to-date net absorption at +532,634 SF, on track to finish well below our 20-year average of 2 million SF. What’s going with … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Market Update: Q3 2022
As you might recall, I am a long time Counselor of Real Estate (CRE). This organization puts out some of the most thought-provoking discussions about Commercial Real Estate. The below article is no exception, and is a great summary of the worker shortage, why we have one and what we see going forward. Here are … Continue reading Where Are the Workers?
The world ebbs and flows…the job market is going from being tight to soft. That is a cycle. The young people who have joined the workforce after 2008 have never seen a recession. It looks like one is coming, meaning many of the jobs they took for granted will disappear. A good article from the … Continue reading Job Market Softening
As you may recall, Andrew and I are a long time Counselors of Real Estate (CRE). Annually the Counselors of Real Estate organization has all the members vote and comes up with the most interesting and comprehensive list of Issues in our business. The 2022-2023 Top 10 Issues Affecting Real Estate report came out last … Continue reading Top 10 Issues Affecting Real Estate
The Inland Empire of industrial market is MASSIVE. It is estimated that 40% of all distribution to the US comes through the two ports located in Southern California. We spent ten minutes talking Inland Empire with Jeff Huberman, one of the top industrial brokers in California. What did we learn? –These ports are the gateway to … Continue reading Ten on One- California Industrial Market
We had a very busy second quarter. Clients hire us because we are in the market every day and close a transaction every 2 to 3 days (including weekends😊). If you want to know anything about office space, give us a call. Click here to see the full image. Craig 602.954.3762 ccoppola@leearizona.com
New York City lost hundreds of thousands of people last year — around 3.5% of its population gone in one year. In fact ALL cities with populations more than 1 million saw people move out, with the exception of Phoenix and San Antonio. The pandemic saw thousands of people reevaluate their lives and make the … Continue reading Phoenix And San Antonio Only Big Cities Growing
Everyone is talking about the looming recession. While I personally think it’s likely to hit in 2023, no one seems to be talking about how it could bring people back to the office. The article below discusses the reasons why a recession will lead to remote workers heading back into the office. Layoffs are coming (actually, they’re already here), and unemployment … Continue reading Weakening the Work-From-Home Revolution
Want to understand how employees really feel about the hybrid workplace? Microsoft has put out a fantastic report called the 2022 Work Trend Index Annual Report. An independent research firm conducted a survey with over 31,000 full-time and part-time works across 31 worldwide markets. This report also used valuable data from LinkedIn and Microsoft 365. Here are … Continue reading The Latest Insights and Stats on Hybrid Office Work
Office space is changing dramatically right in front of our eyes. In this Narrative, we have talked about work from home, flex time, and how office space is becoming more experiential. Today I want to talk about another area: PropTech. The article below from prommodo is titled: The Coming Tsunami of PropTech. Proptech companies are showing up at … Continue reading PropTech is Changing Office Space
We’re excited to bring you something brand new today. The first episode of our new video podcast, “Ten on One.” This new video format will feature a ten-minute podcast on one timely topic at a time. We promise to deliver: — Relevant, timely information — No BS — A summary of key takeaways Trust us, it will … Continue reading Ten on One: Post Covid Design Changes
The Metro Phoenix Office Market is in the midst of a recovery. Ok, a slow one BUT still a recovery. Net absorption, the net increase in physical office space occupied, and THE key market indicator, bounced back in a big way in Q2 at 913,413 SF. In Q1 it had slipped to a – 55,390 … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Market Update: Q2 2022
Zisler Capital Associates released a report that stated up to 70% of the total office inventory might be obsolete. This is a massive disruption for office building owners. Now, we know that how tenants use their space is changing dramatically post covid and with new, rising technologies (Zoom, Slack, everything in the cloud, etc). We also … Continue reading Up to 70% Office Building Obsolescene??!!
In 2010, psychologists Alex Haslam and Craig Knight did some experimenting with office space layouts (read the full article below for some fascinating history and thoughts). Here’s what they found: –Employees want to make their space their own. –When they get that opportunity, they do more and better work. Over a decade later and employees … Continue reading Office Space that Works
I recently wrote about office land sites going to industrial developers here. Below is one additional reason why this trend is happening. This is crazy. Take a look below, but first here are some of my thoughts: –The industrial market is on fire and the country is building out the last mile infrastructure. –Land prices … Continue reading Multi Story Warehouse
I’ve said it before and it continues to be true: Companies are moving out of California in record numbers. This migration is happening for a myriad of reasons. –rising business costs (taxes, energy, utility costs, etc.) –worker comp litigation and cost issues –cost of talent –cost of simply living The list goes on. Below is … Continue reading CA Companies Moving Out
It seems like every year there’s new research regarding office space layouts. There have been tons of studies on office layout and how they can help make employees happier and more productive. Below is a great study that surveyed employees at the end of 2019 to find out what they really think about their office … Continue reading Happy Employees
The majority of companies are back in the office under some sort of adjusted schedule. While work strategies differ, everyone can agree that build-out costs are painfully expensive. This is especially challenging during the war for talent that’s happening, and businesses need every dollar they can get to enhance the employee office experience. Since the … Continue reading 5 Solutions for Saving Money on Office
One huge area of change over the past decade is the amount of amenities tenants want and are now demanding. The competition for tenants remains fierce so landlords are providing more of amenities in their office buildings. The race to provide amenities got so heated over the last few years, we actually created an Amenity … Continue reading Building Amenity Checklist
As companies begin to return to the offices which have largely been left empty since the Covid 19 pandemic started, the first trend we are seeing is companies are going to have to transform the spaces into places where workers will want to be. This is an important move since there is now a shift … Continue reading Are the Suburbs Back? And other Office Trends from NAIOP
The office is evolving, not dying! Check out this insightful article put out by NAIOP Development Magazine. Going into the office must no longer be a thorn in the employee’s daily routine. It needs to be exciting. It needs to be inviting. And it needs to promote wellness. The author of the article, Trey Barrineau, … Continue reading Future Of Office
Last Mile Logistics is one of the hottest segments in Commercial real estate (multifamily remains smoking hot as well). Building out the ecosystem of companies (not just Amazon) to allow them to deliver products in a day (or even faster) is happening now. As a consumer, this is a fabulous and welcome change. However, the … Continue reading Last Mile Logistics
Have you figured out how your office will look in 2022 and beyond? Below is cool, quick article from Fast Company illustrating some of the changes happening in the office. Yes, they do mention some pretty big tech names, and we don’t all have the same construction budgets as Salesforce, but there are some great ideas … Continue reading Back to the Office, Differently
Considering how many companies have opted to allow employees to work from home since the pandemic, it’s good to know that many are still investing in workplaces, creating designs that are not only aesthetically pleasing but with features that are beneficial for the employees and the environment. The list below features multiple workplace designs from … Continue reading The World`s Best Workplace in 2021
The pandemic has created some new trends (mask wearing, expanded home delivery, ghost restaurants, etc.). That said, there has been even more acceleration of existing trends including last mile logistics, flex work schedules, and the rise of second-tier cities like Phoenix. Second-tier cities are growing like crazy and drawing the notice of institutional investors as well … Continue reading Second-Tier Cities Thriving
Lee & Associates corporate just released a nice summary called 7 Things to Know About Commercial Real Estate — a national overview of what you need to know about the market going into 2022. Here are my takeaways: –Industrial is ROCKING. And it will continue in 2022. –Multi Family is ROCKING (and has been for … Continue reading Commercial Real Estate in 2022
For the past decade, all eyes have been on the Millennial Generation, the first to grow up in the Internet Age. Now, the next generation after Millennials is graduating college and entering the workforce: Gen Z is starting to make its mark. Comprising 35% of the global population, they are a force to work with. … Continue reading Gen Z
Thank you for reading our narrative, working with us and helping make our team the #1 office team in Lee and Associates history. We had a very nice year despite the ongoing pandemic and its effect on office space. Thank you for reading our narrative and all the comments throughout the year. Craig PS: I was … Continue reading Coppola Cheney– 2021 By the Numbers
2021 has been a wild and crazy year for everyone. We are proud of the work we did this year especially with the uncertain circumstances in the office market. Our clients have been amazing and we are grateful for each of you who worked with us this year. We spent 2020 locked down in Arizona….NOT … Continue reading 2021 Holiday Video–Our Travels this Year (1 minute 57 seconds)
Parking is not the most exciting topic, but for office developers and users it’s critical. Technology is changing everything in our lives and parking is no different. Yes, Uber and Lyft have already started the change as people can now get to and from locations without having to worry about parking. And autonomous driving is … Continue reading Technology Changing Parking
A few weeks ago I wrote a narrative about rankings, and what I look for in markets where I believe companies will thrive. I posed four questions to ask with the number one question being: Is the market growing? Below is a great article from the Washington Post on where America is growing by new land … Continue reading Where America’s Developed Areas are Growing?
Business owners come to us and ask for our guidance and expertise on all things office space. One area that comes up all the time is the decision to lease or buy a building. We received this question so often, we created the below graphic to begin the conversation. While this is a great start, the … Continue reading Lease vs. Own
We are honored to have been chosen as one of five finalists for Broker of the Decade in Metro Phoenix by CEM Magazine. The winner is determined via vote by the readers. We would greatly appreciate if you could take 30 seconds right now and cast your vote by clicking here (we are third in the … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Market Update: Q3 2021 and a 30-Second Favor to Ask
This headline made me laugh: Phoenix was ranked as the least relaxing city in America, according to a recent survey. Factors such as light pollution, green spaces, and coastal proximity all weighed heavily against Phoenix in the survey, which showed the least number of respondents who get 7+ hours of sleep each night. Meanwhile, San Jose, … Continue reading All Kind of Rankings
A few years back I wrote a narrative on indoor farming (you can read it here). The technology has grown and grown (pun intended) and now we are seeing some incredible changes. Sananbio, one of the world’s largest indoor farming technology providers, has announced an unmanned vertical farming system. Here’s how it works: –Pour the seeds in … Continue reading Indoor Farming
I get asked the question all the time: what is the water situation in Arizona? Most of my out-of-state clients are curious about water, how much we have, are we running out, the desert landscape of Phoenix, water levels, etc. Below is a short primer I put together for my readers that answers all these … Continue reading Arizona Water Scoop
Now the messy part with hybrid work begins. Below is an article outlining the conversations we are having 5 times a day right now with our clients. How do we come back to work and what are the rules, office space layouts and long-term consequences of allowing everyone to partially work from home? Here is … Continue reading Hybrid Work Messiness
Even before the pandemic, jobs in Metro Phoenix were on the rise, drawing large numbers of employees away from bigger cities like San Francisco, LA, and New York, to the area. That trend accelerated during the pandemic, with an influx of new remote workers moving to the city. What is really cool is the diversification … Continue reading Which Cities are America’s new boomtowns? Try Salt Lake City and Indianapolis
I recently read a fantastic article from the Wall Street Journal on some of the greater effects of remote work. Being an office broker, I of course am focused daily on the office sector, but this article explores much more as this trend spreads throughout urban geography across the US. Some of my thoughts are below: The … Continue reading Zoom Towns
Office subleases continue to prove a hot topic this year. Tenants in the market are eyeing subleases for their great prices, or are using them as leverage to bargain against traditional options. In the Metro Phoenix market, with 100 million SF of office space, we are now showing over 4.5 million SF of sublease now … Continue reading The Hottest Office Topic in the Valley
You may have noticed that I’ve spent more time than usual passing along information as it pops up. My job is to make sure you and our clients are on the cutting edge of where office space is going and how it is changing. Due to the pandemic, there is a lot of confusing data … Continue reading Reducing Office Space? 74% of Fortune 500 CEO`s Say It`s Likely
This narrative has been talking about changes in office space design, layout, and work flow for the last year. During COIVD-19, I decided to put together a summary presentation of the 10 changes office space users are making as we come out of the pandemic. I have given this presentation live (well, over Zoom) over … Continue reading COVID 19 Office Space Changes
The Metro Phoenix Office Market remains in disarray at the midpoint of 2021. Companies (small and medium-sized) are coming back to work, signing new leases and getting back to a new normal. Other companies (often large ones) continue to kick the can with short-term renewals, downsizing as leases roll, or trying the sublease market. The … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Market Update: Q2 2021
I found the below article a nice start to a conversation all of our clients will have over the next year or two. Who will go remote and why should we still have office space? First, as you will recall from last week’s narrative, as few as 34% of jobs can even be considered remote. … Continue reading Office Space to Compete with Remote Working
Conflicting views on the future of the office continue to volley back and forth in the media. Below is the NAIOP research division’s latest forecast for office space demand, which they feel will stabilize by the middle of 2022. NAIOP is the largest commercial real estate trade organization in the United States, carrying a relevant … Continue reading Office Still in Disarray
Over the last year, we have all had to adjust our thinking. Personally, I’ve spent quite a bit of time thinking about how I could better insulate me, my family, my team at Coppola Cheney and my companies from the scary times created by the pandemic. I settled on the below thoughts and created the … Continue reading SPT for Scary Times
Readers of this narrative know that my team and I represent tenants and landlords primarily in the Metro Phoenix area. Every year we see more and more investors coming to us from outside Arizona, and even outside the U.S. Interest in commercial real estate investing is on the rise in the international community, which is … Continue reading CRE International Investors Coming to the US and AZ
We are very excited to share with you that Craig has been awarded the 2020 NAIOP Award of Excellence. Only one person in our industry per year receives this distinction. The purpose of this award is to recognize an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the Arizona commercial real estate market over his or … Continue reading NAIOP Arizona Award of Excellence 2020 Goes to…
“Messy” is right. Below is an article outlining the conversations we are having 5 times a day right now with our clients. How do we come back to work and what are the rules, office space layouts, and long-term consequences of allowing everyone to partially work from home? Here is what we are telling our clients: … Continue reading Hybrid Works Get Messy
The United States and Arizona both continue to recover from the pandemic. Below are two graphs from Elliott D. Pollack & Company showing the percent of jobs recovered and jobs left to recover from the pre-pandemic days here in Arizona. –The good news is that jobs are coming back. –However, we still have a ways … Continue reading Arizona Job Recovery
Over the past year, I have been asked the same question over and over: What will happen to office space users? Will they all just work from home from now on? Will offices ever come back? 2020 showed us that many office jobs can be performed at home, and though I’ve written before about some of the drawbacks of being … Continue reading Jobs That Can Be Done Remotely?
The housing market is on FIRE. We are seeing house prices skyrocket across the country, especially here in Metro Phoenix. How hot is it? The median price of a home in the US just hit $329,100. While I’m not in the residential sphere, I’ve been keeping an eye on housing prices and am amazed at … Continue reading $329,100
There’s no doubt that the pandemic has had far-reaching consequences for industries worldwide. In my business, the pandemic created several great markets (residential development and industrial); a sandstorm in our area of office space leasing (no one knows where we are going yet) and has devastated other segments (retail and hospitality). One other segment that was … Continue reading Commercial Sales Volume in a Pandemic
For over 30 years, I have been telling tenants they should use me and my team to represent them. The first question I need to answer is, “why do I need a broker?” Below is a graphic we created for people who want to know why they need to engage a broker for their next … Continue reading Why Use A Broker?
I am still closely watching the work-from-home (WFH) trend that began a long time ago but really accelerated last year when the Covid pandemic first hit. Many businesses are now returning to the office, with optional WFH schedules or reimagined spaces. Every business is handling the return to their office differently, and some have found … Continue reading Who is Going Back to the Office?
The pandemic certainly took its toll on the Metro Phoenix Office Market in Q1. The numbers tell us it was the worst quarter since the Great Recession (2008): Net absorption (new office space taken by job growth) went negative for the third quarter in a row, at -550,000 SF; sublease space increased at the highest … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Market Update: Q1 2021
Below is an older article (9/2016), that discusses the evolution of office space. Why am I sending this now, right after the economy shut down and the COVID-19 pandemic? Because the points made below can and will show you a couple of key topics that are still relevant when discussing commercial office design and investment: … Continue reading The Evolution of Office Space Utilization in the U.S.
One of the first questions we get asked when we are working with a tenant is how long the process will take…..The answer is usually longer than you think. We created the below infographic to show a sample of our step-by-step process, the time it takes to accomplish and decision makers involved. There is a … Continue reading Preliminary Relocation Process
The Wall Street Journal article below is a very good summary of what we are hearing a ton these days: How can I make my office more dynamic and experiential? As we go back to our offices, simply returning to the old, pre-COVID layout with the same furniture and work methods, is not going to cut it when it comes to competing for new … Continue reading Your Workplace is Changing
In February, I was able to watch the annual Land and Housing forecast by Land Advisors with Founder Greg Vogel. As usual, they didn’t disappoint with the wealth of great information they shared. I wanted to share a graph that was astounding to me: Resale of houses in metro Phoenix by days. Our team focuses exclusively on office and commercial, … Continue reading Phoenix Housing Market is Pure Fire
It seems like forever ago that the entire work force was sent home from their offices to hunker down and try to be productive while waiting out the pandemic. While telecommuting is not a new word, companies have always considered it an experiment and been very slow to embrace it. For years, telecommuting or working … Continue reading What Will Replace the Desk?
In commercial office leasing, there are a number of ways owners charge rent and operating expenses. We always negotiate how operating expenses are accounted for and charged to the tenant when we work with you on your office lease. Below is a graphic we created to show the range of lease types and where the obligation resides (with the Landlord … Continue reading Lease Types and Obligations
I’ve lost track of how many narratives I’ve written about how technology is changing the commercial real estate business. Here’s another one. 5G is on the way and it’s coming fast. What does this mean to the Commercial Real Estate Industry? Below is an article on strategizing for the arrival of 5G technology. Some of my … Continue reading 5G and CRE
I recently found a great website with some very cool information and graphs on money flow trends and wanted to share it with you. Where has America’s money flowed over the last 5 years? People take their money where they think they will live their best life.Turns out that: –Money is flowing out of California at an … Continue reading America’s Money Flow
I believe (as does Industrious’ Jamie Hodari below) that companies are going to be moving back into the office eventually for a number of reasons I have discussed in this narrative previously. As we continue to get our heads and arms around the pandemic, we still need to work. Here are a few takeaways from … Continue reading Returning to Work
I have some global thinking for your narrative today. Lots of thought and energy is going into making the world more sustainable. There are many ways people are working towards sustainability, and below is a graph showing which countries are doing the best job. Here are my thoughts:1—The US is doing a good job (I know, we … Continue reading Countries With the Most Sustainable Energy Policies
Goal setting is what I do and then I track those goals with a religious fervor. 2020 proved to be a crazy, crazy year for goal setters. Not for Coppola Cheney. We put our heads down, took care of our clients, made the year about working hard for them and their issues. After the year ended, … Continue reading Coppola-Cheney 2020 – By The Numbers
We are all getting mixed messages on office space use from the media and our own colleagues. The office market is dead. It will never be the same. Work from home doesn’t work. The market will crash. We’ve already hit bottom. We hear all this and more every day. We call it The Sandstorm. What … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Market Update: Q4 2020
FANG companies (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet aka Google) are dominating the commercial real estate market—Leasing and Buying. How much? Well, they now own or lease almost 600 MILLION square feet of space!! This is more than all the office space in New York City. Five times more than just a decade ago. Read more … Continue reading FANG Companies Are Driving CRE
Tenant Advisory and now National Tenant Advisory was formally created in 1982. Today, office tenants across the US with as few as 5-10 offices in different markets are hiring firms to handle their real estate portfolios. There are many reasons, but here are a few thoughts on why companies do this: Tremendous time savings Single … Continue reading Tenant Advisory Method
Tenant Advisory and now National Tenant Advisory was formally created in 1982. Today, office tenants across the US with as few as 5-10 offices in different markets are hiring firms to handle their real estate portfolios. There are many reasons, but here are a few thoughts on why companies do this: Tremendous time savings Single … Continue reading Tenant Advisory Method
At the NAIOP national convention this past fall, a few speakers touched on the topic of what is going to change when autonomous cars and UBER/Lyft allow workers to stop driving to work. Below are some key slides from the presentation done by Juan Dorado, John Cadenhead and Steffen Turoff. For each slide, you can click … Continue reading Parking and the Driverless Future
These days, it’s easier than ever to get started in investing. There are apps that let you buy and trade stocks while waiting at the gas station. Real estate, especially residential, has always been an accessible investment vehicle. But these days, even commercial real estate is being disrupted and opening up to the masses, with … Continue reading Investing in Commercial Real Estate
2020 is coming to an end but unfortunately not the pandemic (yet). What a rollercoaster of a year it’s been for the entire world. Amid the pandemic, we still had a great year despite being remote most of 2020.Our readership increased again this year AND I enjoyed the numerous conversations many of you sparked throughout … Continue reading Happy Holidays From Coppola-Cheney
We now believe the national office market will likely have negative absorption for 2020 and, depending on how long the pandemic lasts, into 2021. Globe Street has a nice overview in the article below my comments. Here are some of my thoughts on the office sector looking forward into the next year. Why negative absorption … Continue reading Negative Office Absorption in Our Future
I have written about this before, and the elephant in the room is STILL the amount of debt the federal government is taking on AND the pace. See below for a graph showing this trend. There will be a time to pay the penalty for this excess…but no one is talking about it now. The … Continue reading The Elephant in the Room
In my business, I get to tour some pretty incredible buildings and spaces. (Check out the narrative I did on World’s Most Beautiful Offices of 2019). I am always fascinated by the creative thinking and precision that goes into designing and constructing buildings and office space to make the culture within the company actually come to … Continue reading The Creative Process of the Four Pioneers of Modern Architecture
Back in July, I sent out a narrative on one of the coolest buildings I have ever seen being built. The REI headquarters promised to be on-brand and in keeping with their ethos. It blended outdoor and indoor space to create a building that perfectly aligned with the company mission. Well, if you want an … Continue reading REI Headquarters Follow-up
We know Amazon delivers thousands of items right to our house, often within 24 hours. Below is a map showing how they do it—with warehouses all over the US and world. With their push to handle more and more of their own delivery, this number will continue to increase. They are even looking to … Continue reading Amazon Warehouses
We are spending a fair amount of time in this narrative looking at the issues of office space in a post-COVID-19 world. As I write this, we are still in a COVID-19 “sandstorm” without any real clear direction. However, we can look at the various options that are being thrown out as alternatives. One of … Continue reading The Counter Argument to WFH
The sandstorm continues. In Phoenix, we call it a haboob. Uncertainty, again, served as the main theme of the Metro Phoenix Office Market in the third quarter. Vacancy didn’t really rise that much in the past 90 days. Rental rates softened only slightly. Sublease space spiked up again this quarter. We are seeing companies who … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Market Update: Q3 2020
It is imperative to know the key points of your lease. This means reading beyond the rent and the expiration date. We prepare lease abstracts for all of our clients as a matter of course. Our unique lease abstract form makes sure we capture all the important lease details and maximize your leverage. Why? Because … Continue reading Lease Abstract
The Counselors of Real Estate (of which Andrew and I are proud members) have released their annual top 10 issues affecting real estate. Please read the whole article below. As you can imagine, COVID-19 is currently leading the way on issues affecting real estate. Big shocker. We have written about the pandemic a ton in previous … Continue reading Top 10 Issues Affecting Real Estate
I’m a third-generation Arizonan, which means I love the sunshine. Below is a cool map that shows sunshine in terms of hours per year. It’s interesting how little sunshine Europe gets. In the USA, we get tons of Vitamin D compared to Europe. And Arizona…forget about it… We get 3,500 hours a year or more. One … Continue reading Sunshine in USA vs. Europe
As an office broker for 35+ years, I have done my share of corporate headquarters relocations and negotiations. If you need office space, I am your man. Part of any negotiation for a sizable relocation can be state and city incentives. The article below from the New York Times talks about companies taking advantage of this … Continue reading Real Estate Tax Breaks and Potential Dangers
In my Workplace 2020 series, I talked about the speed of the market gaining velocity. Millennials now expect an immediate response time. After three decades of closing over 125 deals per year (151 in 2019) each and every year, we have fine-tuned our process to include the fastest response times in our industry. Below is a … Continue reading C2 Velocity of Work
As we come out of the COVID-19 quarantine, the number one question I am being asked (other than questions about rent deferment or abatement) is “what is this going to do to the office building layouts going forward?” There are many prognostications and I have prepared my own presentation that I am giving to our … Continue reading This Trend is Likely Accelerating
Over the past five years, tons of owners have remodeled office buildings. The first place they start is the lobby. Below is an interesting graph for owners as they think about remodeling their lobby. Here are some key ideas that hit me when I saw this: 1—This is a year or more project. If you need to … Continue reading Lobby Renovation Roadmap
The hub and spoke concept for companies using office space is an interesting concept. I am not sure it will work. I personally think it will be too complicated for companies to have 2-3 spoke locations for employees. That said, huge companies seem to have no choice as they search for talent. See Tech Crunch’s … Continue reading Office Hub and Spoke Model
Congratulations, your lease is fully executed. Now what? Most brokerage professionals disappear before the ink on the lease has even dried. Over time, we have found a number of ways we can help our clients as they transition into the next phases of their relocation or renewal. We offer guidance and resources that start at lease execution to occupancy … Continue reading Post Lease Execution Thoughts
The C.D.C. sent out some “suggested” changes for office space users as we head back into the office. I wanted to take these suggestions and roll them into what we are seeing our clients do on a practical basis. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal has a nice article on what we know about getting infected. … Continue reading C.D.C. Recommends Changes to Office Space
Population growth is a key indicator of economic health. So where are the top 10 net population growth areas in the US? See below. –Surprise! Metro Phoenix is #1. This is not really a surprise for those of us who have been following this growth. –The Inland Empire in Southern California is second. This one did … Continue reading Net Population Gains Per Year
Over the past few months of quarantine, the most asked question my team and I have received has been, “Will there even be a need for office space in the future?” Short answer: Yes. Below is a great article from the Wall Street Journal that summarizes some of the critical issues facing companies as we … Continue reading Remote Work Isn’t So Great After All
Not surprisingly, the Metro Phoenix office market Q2 2020 experienced plenty of highs and lows. Office leasing slowed, but it did not stop. Sublease space increased dramatically, but it’s not at an all-time high. Positive COVID cases declined, then spiked here in Arizona, as they did in much of the country. We continue to learn … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Market Update: Q2 2020
Last week, I sent a narrative on some new ways we are working with our clients to measure space utilization (click here to read). I got quite a few responses about the topic from Real Estate facilities people (and a CEO) asking why we would incorporate new measurements into their spaces when they have corporate … Continue reading 10 + 1 Reasons to Measure Office Space Utilization
Every day we negotiate office leases. In 2019 alone, our team completed 145 leases. One item we always negotiate is rent per square foot. As we negotiate this for our clients, we also talk to them about how they could, and probably should, be looking at the rent differently than just per SF. Recently, we moved … Continue reading New Ways to Measure Workplace Utilization
Over the years, we have seen a proliferation of amenities and additions to office space that we lease. We assembled a nice overview of what we call The Modern Workplace. In addition to photos, I have added a little overview of the top amenities. Each of these amenities is from one of our listings here … Continue reading The Modern Workplace
I’ve shared some pretty cool buildings with this narrative over the years, and I’m bringing you another one today. As an avid backpacker for 30+ years, I wanted to share REI’s new headquarters. This one may be one of my favorites. REI is a co-op founded in 1938 that sells outdoor gear. I have been … Continue reading The Most Outdoorsy HQ Ever
Below is an incredible graph. States have let their infrastructure go to hell and it is costing consumers a ton of money in car damages. Take a look below to see what your state is costing you.I also pulled cities within the Metro Phoenix market to see what individual cities are costing us. 1—Lack of … Continue reading What is Your State’s Poor Infrastructure Costing You?
I messed up. This is a narrative that edits what I sent over earlier this week. Below is the narrative and orange are my edits. Sorry for sending incorrect information. Craig Over the past several years, one of the trends my team has been tracking is the number of California companies that are moving to … Continue reading Most Expensive U.S. Office Submarkets
Just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. Negotiating a renewal seems straightforward, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. Our team has developed a unique, four-step process for our clients looking to renew where possible. This process ensures the most competitive transaction terms with the least amount of time and anxiety. The key step in the … Continue reading The Renewal Process
I know, we have been sending quite a bit of contradictory information about office space post-pandemic. The situation is extremely fluid and changing rapidly. Below is an article from National Geographic on this very topic. The CDC is also sending out new office guidelines (here is another article from the NYT). IF, and this … Continue reading Goodbye to open office spaces?
Tons of articles, surveys and speculation are flying around the world right now about the potential death of the office. There seem to be endless arguments to both sides and I get to talk about them daily with clients and colleagues. The article below explains the true needs for office space better than any article … Continue reading The Chemistry of the Unexpected
I’ve talked in previous narratives about the pros and cons of the current trend towards open office layouts. Work and how it flows has changed dramatically over the past 5 years. 75+ percent of all office spaces we see built out these days are primarily open. Companies are trying to make their culture more collaborative. … Continue reading Work Modalities Chart
Back in May 2016, I wrote a narrative on the first solar road in the world (read here). Looks like I was way ahead of the curve on this technology. It is still coming but solar power inside a road seems to be a long way off. This road has been a total flop. Why? … Continue reading Three Years Later, the French Solar Road Is a Total Flop
The trend of being able to work from home is now here for all of us. The COVID-19 quarantine has forced the issue. And according to a detailed study by Nicholas Bloom of Stanford, it’s good business. Bloom did a two-year study on the effectiveness of working from home. Below is a nice summary from a … Continue reading Working From Home
It was simply a matter of time before all office building tenant amenities would consider going green. Below are some pretty cool ideas for office building owners and tenants wanting be more environmentally-friendly. My favorite is the Margarita—I mean, smoothie—bike. 🙂 See below for the photo. What else is coming? – Balconies and … Continue reading Green/Healthy Tenant Amenities
The last decade (pre-COVID-19) was a lesson in taking the long road. I remember meeting with a couple CEOs of homebuilding companies every year and hearing the same story from 2009-2012: “Last year was bad but this next year is going to be a lot better.” This was the message for four straight years. Multifamily, on … Continue reading A Decade of Home Building
I first commented on this topic back in 2015 (click here to see my narrative and the video). The age of robotics is coming. And last month, it got even closer. Boston Dynamics announced their first commercial robot is going on sale. Yes, it will be expensive and limited, BUT it will be a commercially … Continue reading Robotics are Here!
Below is the US National Debt as a portion of the economy expressed as a graph. Since this graph was created, we have now surpassed World War II levels of debt, pushing debt to over 100% of GDP. You can see the most accurate calculation of national debt, which updates every second as it grows, here: https://www.usdebtclock.org/ The … Continue reading National Debt Growth
When you get a survey result with 50% results, you pay attention. When you see 99% you better stop and make a change. Below is a 2019 report by Buffer on the State of Remote Work. The most important takeaway is that EVERYONE wants to spend some time working remotely — and by everyone, I mean 99%. … Continue reading EVERYONE Wants Time to Work Remotely
We represent tenants looking for office space in metro Phoenix and across the US. Some clients are CRE savvy and others negotiate a lease once every 5 years. One question I hear all the time is, why are rents so high? Or, said another way, how does my rent break down? Below is a cool graphic … Continue reading New Lease vs. Renewal Breakdown
We are all watching and waiting to see what happens with autonomous vehicles (especially those of us who live in Metro Phoenix as we have a number of companies testing AV’s every day). We thought they would never come, then we thought they would be here in 2020, and now… here is an update. Turns out … Continue reading Standoff with a Jaywalker
We know technology is changing our lives. What is astonishing to me is the speed of adoption. The second graph in the below article shows just how fast this is happening with new technology—The lines are almost straight up. Here is why: Today’s consumers want immediate impact in their daily lives. With cell phones and … Continue reading The Speed of Technological Adoption
We are in a really unique time for developers and users of space with regards to parking needs. Planning and building parking today is much like it has been for the past 40 years. People drive. In fact, 85% of commuters drive to work. But over the next 10-20 years, I think this will begin … Continue reading Parking in Urban Areas
Managing a national portfolio can be one of the most complex and stressful jobs in our industry. The Coppola-Cheney Group has over three decades of experience leasing office space across the U.S. and Europe for clients. We compete with national tenant advisory firms and offer unique services that cannot be replicated by these national firms. … Continue reading Brokerage – What We Do Every Day
I attended the always-fabulous 2019 Land Advisors Phoenix Land & Housing Forecast back in December and guess what? The U.S. housing market is on a roll and doing just fine, thank you. Bonus: The Metro Phoenix housing market is the #1 market in the country. Why? A decade of not building enough housing to match … Continue reading U.S. and Arizona Housing Market
It’s time for us to look back at the Metro Phoenix Office Market for 2019. Readers of this narrative know that I am an office broker who works every day with tenants and landlords as they navigate real estate nuances and opportunities. I (along with my incredible team) am based in Phoenix but work around the country, … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Market Update: Q4 2019
Many who know me know that I’m a dedicated goal setter. (Those who know me really well might say I go a bit overboard.) I set and track goals on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis in all areas of life, from family time to backpacking to even the amount of sleep I get each night. Most … Continue reading Coppola-Cheney 2019 – By the Numbers
In this final week of my series, I wanted to talk about what companies are doing for their employees. Yes, we know a few already—meals, bocce ball, corn hole and napping pods all across Silicon Valley. But what about across the U.S.? For this I turned to one of our clients and a leader in … Continue reading Office Space 2020- The Employee Experience- Part 4 of 4
One of the first lessons you learn when you start representing owners and tenants in leasing office space is that the tenant rules. They drive everything. Rates, Tenant Improvements, where buildings get built, what buildings get built — everything. Deloitte produced a very nice 2020 Commercial Real Estate Outlook (the link to the entire study … Continue reading Office Space 2020- The Tenant Rules- Part 3 of 4
Today I want to look at the workforce for this coming decade. We are living AND working longer. I wrote a previous narrative about how five generations of employees are now in the workplace. Check it out here. What does that mean having five generations in your office?: – We are having to plan for, manage, … Continue reading Office Space 2020- Workforce- Part 2 of 4
Welcome to 2020. As we start the new decade, I have prepared a 4-part series of narratives on office space 2020. For the next 4 weeks, I’ll be taking a look at what is going on in the workplace from a high level to set the tone for the decade. Part One: The Future Office. Below … Continue reading Office Space 2020- A 4 Part Series (Part 1)
Who is winning in Metro to Metro Migration across the country? Phoenix. 1 in 7 out of state relocation’s come to Arizona and by far the majority move to Metro Phoenix. Check out this graph below to see other markets that are winners. If you want to read the whole article, here you go. If … Continue reading Net Metro to Metro Migration Winners
2019 is coming to an end, and with it the 2010s. What a great year and decade it’s been for our team and company. This year we closed over 150 transactions with some incredible clients who pushed our team to greater heights. This was my 6th year writing this narrative. I am grateful to have … Continue reading Happy Holidays From Coppola-Cheney
I love to write this narrative each year. Annually, I get to comment on some of the coolest office spaces in the world and also highlight a couple clients we have completed transactions with in the past 12 months. First is a very cool tenant lounge that Cypress Properties and Oaktree built at Renaissance One. Next, … Continue reading World’s Most Beautiful Offices of 2019
Watching and learning outside our industry over the past decade, I have seen how Big Data is taking over. Well, it’s finally coming to Commercial Real Estate. How much? Below is a graphic from CB Insights showing the companies and areas they are working on for creating smart cities. Here are some thoughts from … Continue reading The Big-Data Deluge
The last time metro Phoenix office vacancy was 16.1% was in 2007. It took us 12 years to get back to the same vacancy. It was a long, tough road back, but we are finally there. However, this time around, there are some big differences comparing 2007 and 2019: 1-Average rents (not Class A rents which … Continue reading Phoenix Historical Office Statistics
After a quiet second quarter, the Greater Phoenix office market experienced a HUGE third quarter in terms of tenant activity. Over 1 million SF of net absorption (think job growth) was recorded in just a 90-day period, making 2019’s year-to-date net absorption 2.64 million SF – almost matching space absorbed in all of 2018, and … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Market Update: Q3 2019
In 2015, I said this was not a good investment. In 2018, I said, I couldn’t believe this was still going on. In April this year, I reiterated this was going to crash….and it finally has. But that doesn’t mean I’m happy I was right. What was my prediction? WeWork (now We Company) was not … Continue reading I Got One Right… and I am not happy about it
One of the best parts of being a Counselor of Real Estate (CRE) is the annual debate about what issues are driving real estate. Boy have they changed over the last 5 years. For 2019-2020, our organization has come up with a couple issues that you would have NEVER guessed would have been on the top … Continue reading 2019-20 Top Ten Issues Affecting Real Estate – My Annual Take
McKinsey did a pretty interesting study on creating a superior customer experience strategy. As you can imagine, it’s not just the actions of the front-line, customer-facing workers that adds the ‘customer first’ experience to a company, but the executives and strategy as well. The more a company invests in the interests of their employees, the … Continue reading #1 Item for a Superior Customer Experience Strategy
Sometimes I geek out over office space. Today’s narrative is one of those just for the interested. Here is a link to a survey conducted by the National Association of Industrial and Office Professionals (NAIOP). This 50-page deep dive into the topic asks real estate owners and professionals their thoughts on Co-working vs. Building Collaborative … Continue reading Ready for an office space deep dive?
Below is an interesting article from The New York Times about office landlords seeking a competitive edge in leasing space to tenants. Our primary market is Phoenix, so when I travel or read, I am always watching out for trends and changes in what owners are doing and what tenants are leasing. Here are … Continue reading Gaining a Competitive Edge in Office Buildings
It’s July in Phoenix and it is hot — both in temperature and in the office market. The office market remains hot but office net absorption (job growth) cooled off in the 2nd quarter, posting just 245,000 SF in Q2. Mid-year net absorption stands at 1.5 million SF and will likely hit 3 million SF … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Market Update: Q2 2019
I saw the below graph and article and it hit me: there are 5 generations now in the work force. How is anybody managing that? Then my commercial real estate mind immediately kicked in and thought: how are we designing space to accommodate the various needs of each cohort? The truth is, I’m sure we are….at … Continue reading 5 Generations in the Work Force
There has been a lot of talk about the middle class getting squeezed and the numbers below bear this out. Take a look at the graphs. What does this mean to the average worker? Rent, medical costs and tuition have increased more than income, shrinking savings. The median hourly wage in the U.S. … Continue reading The Shrinking Middle Class
I keep telling my team: right now is what the top of the market feels like. In the United States, one out of every seven people moving out of state moves to Arizona. The economy is hot. How long can it continue? Who knows, but NAIOP is forecasting another great year for the rest of … Continue reading The National Office Market continues to roll on
When I wrote How to Win in Commercial Real Estate Investing, I spent all my words on the process of investing. Not the psychology of the business. Below is a great (and short) article on the 4 P’s of being a successful investor. I would recommend that everyone think about these words before they jump … Continue reading Being A Successful Real Estate Investor
The entire world is being disrupted. Readers of this narrative know this. Here is the latest disruption: vertical warehouses with four stories. Why are these taking off? –Consumer demand for instantaneous delivery has caused the industry to take a hard look at the “last mile” and seek new ways to speed up delivery. … Continue reading Vertical Warehousing
We all know we have to do our homework when analyzing any business opportunity. Doing due diligence from every side and perspective will help protect your interests (and money). Below are some reminders and a priority list for conducting your due diligence to limit your risks and hopefully ensure your ROI: – Financials first, all … Continue reading Analyzing Business Opportunities
The Metro Phoenix Office market continued its trend of positive net absorption this quarter in a BIG way. Fresh off a year of posting 2.8 million SF of net absorption (job growth) in all of 2018, Metro Phoenix hit 1.1 million SF in just the first quarter 2019, sending vacancy down to 16.9% from 17.57%. … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Market Update: Q1 2019
For those who have followed my narrative for a while now, you might recall that WeWork and the overall rise of Coworking office space has been on my radar for the past few years (Click here to read “Rise of Collaborative Workspace” and here to read “WeWork now a $5 billion co-working startup”). The market … Continue reading Building Collaborative Areas vs. Coworking Space
One of the most daunting tasks our national clients face is to quantify the key metrics for making decisions for their office locations. I review no less than 30 different reports a year on this topic and the items people track are, well…daunting. Demographics, traffic patterns, access to amenities, cost of labor, office space costs, … Continue reading Affordability
Chinese company, Tencent, just finished its global headquarters. In previous narratives, I have discussed US-based tech companies’ cool new headquarters (Click here to read my narrative on Apple’s HQ). This week, I have included two different articles about the same building. What is different? Technology. In China, the government allows some technology that is not … Continue reading Chinese Company Headquarters WAY different than U.S.
We are constantly asked by owners and prospective owners to value buildings. As brokers, we can prepare BOV’S (Broker Opinion of Values). This is our opinion of a specific property’s market value if put on the market for sale. Full valuation for Lenders and partners to benefit all parties is called an Appraisal. Below … Continue reading The Commercial Real Estate Appraisal Process
This narrative typically talks about office space leases, trends and all things commercial real estate. Today, I wanted to talk about how we have thrived over 35 years in an incredibly tough business. It’s pretty simple — we build deep meaningful relationships with our clients. How do we do this? We have a … Continue reading Relationships- Deep and Meaningful
It’s time for us to look back at the Metro Phoenix Office Market for 2018. Readers of this narrative know that I am an office broker who works every day representing tenants and landlords as they navigate real estate nuances and opportunities. I (along with my incredible team) am based in Phoenix but work around the country … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Market Update: Q4 2018
Some of you may know that I was drafted out of college and played professional baseball for the Minnesota Twins organization before I got into Commercial Real Estate. If you play baseball, you learn statistics. As sportswriter Arthur Daley said: “A baseball fan has the digestive apparatus of a billy goat. He can, and does, devour any set of … Continue reading What do Baseball and Commercial Real Estate Have in Common?
I’m adding to my narrative two weeks ago (click here to read) on the effects of open office plans. Today is not about the science but rather the complaining and emotional impact on employees after moving to open office space. I’m not taking a side, rather just piling on more information from two weeks ago. Workers … Continue reading Piling On
In my ongoing effort to explore both sides of the open office vs. traditional office debate, here are some thoughts based on science. The Journal of Environmental Psychology jumped into the fray and came out with a huge study (40k+ workers and over 300 companies). What did they find out? — Closed offices outperformed open … Continue reading Open Plans Kill Productivity
At the end of each year, we take the opportunity to reflect on the past 12 months. 2018 was exceptional for our team. We had a great year, fantastic clients (old and new), continued to grow our team with quality (and talented) people, and we traveled. Boy, did we travel. Travel has long been a part … Continue reading Happy Holidays from The Coppola-Cheney Group
Exposed ceilings are all the rage, but users pay a price for this look. Most of our clients think it’s less expensive to just demo the ceiling and have a cool open space. Not so fast. Here are some of the additional costs that come with an exposed ceiling: – Re-running electrical cabling and HVAC … Continue reading Exposed Ceilings Are Cool But Not Cheap
Apple moved into their spaceship this year. I wrote about it while under construction and now you have probably have seen finished photos all over. If not, here are some.But today’s narrative is not about this inspired headquarters. Today, I want to talk about Pixar’s headquarters built in the late 1990’s. The standards of creative office (and … Continue reading The Legacy of Steve Jobs and Office Space
Below is my quarterly take on the Metro Phoenix office market. Readers of this narrative know that I am an office broker who works every day representing Tenants and Landlords as they navigate real estate nuances and opportunities. I (along with my incredible team) am based in Phoenix but work around the country and internationally as … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Update: Q3 2018
One trend I actively follow is automation. In 20 years, what jobs will be done by robots? With new advancements in technology, it’s not just the routine data entry and labor jobs that are in danger anymore. Robots can now analyze emotions, perform surgical operations, even drive semi-trucks across the country. All these developments beg the … Continue reading Humans are Underrated
There is such freedom in working remotely. But, as is the case with everything, there is a dark side. People who get to work remotely have flexibility and save time from not having to commute. But are these benefits worth the stress?Remote workers also deal with the following: – Feeling disconnected from their team. And even … Continue reading Working Remotely
Technology is changing everything, from the way we eat and drive, to how we communicate and work. The “digitalization of everything” is changing how we work and therefore the skills we need to do our work. Brookings produced a study in late 2017 that is highlighted below and here is a link to the full study. Here are … Continue reading The Digitalization of Everything
In our ongoing discussion about the future of office space, here is a nice stat: In this cycle, office space users have been taking approximately ½ of the space they took as they grew in the last cycle. We know why—open office, the explosion of the tech companies and shared space environment and all the … Continue reading The “Coffice”
First, let me say, I told you so. I have been saying for some time that the huge shift to urban core will not be sustained. There are companies that want/need to have that environment so I am still bullish on urban cores, but there are others who will reverse the three-decade trend of moving offices closer and closer … Continue reading Suburban Offices are Back
The changing demographics of workers in the U.S. is HUGE and it’s changing everything. This is probably the biggest issue we are facing in office space leasing, and it features predominantly on the 2018 Counselors of Real Estate (CRE) Top 10 Issues Affecting Real Estate. Below is the release and a link to the full report. I … Continue reading 2018 Top 10 Issues Affecting Real Estate
Readers of this narrative know that I am an office broker who works every day helping Tenants and Landlords navigate the nuances and opportunities across geographical areas and product types. I (along with my incredible team) am based in Phoenix but work around the country and internationally as well. We get hired for all kinds … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Update: Q2 2018
Over the past few months, Amazon has been very public about their search for a second headquarters. (They have looked at 238 different cities.) I wanted to share a bit of this process and what it might mean to the economic development communities across the country. The Amazon announcement will play out over the next year, but the … Continue reading Amazon Headquarters Selection Process
When writing my LIFEies (my weekly blog on personal development) I get to share very complex ideas that are made simple by lots of people. Like Albert Einstein said, “The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.” For this narrative, however, I focus on more complex Commercial Real Estate developments. But every … Continue reading Rules for Capital
I come from a family of educators. Both my parents were school teachers. After getting my bachelor’s degree, I felt the need to continue my education. Today I have earned my MBA and the three most prestigious designations in the Commercial Real Estate industry: CCIM, CRE, and SIOR. Andrew has earned the same three designations. … Continue reading Commercial Real Estate Designations
I have been representing tenants across the US and overseas for 34 years. As I write this narrative, I want to provide value, spot trends and get business. If you have a question or need office space, call me. We would love to work with you. One huge trend that has had a meteoric rise … Continue reading The Rise of Collaborative Workspace
In many ways, I am jaded after being in the CRE brokerage business for so long. Representing office tenants means you get to see just about everything. But I also live in an Arizona bubble most of the time. So I was SHOCKED at the amount of property taxes that the highest-taxed buildings in America … Continue reading The Highest Taxed Buildings in America
I have a great friend, Trish, who has been a mentor to me for the past 30 years. She is in the residential ownership and management business, and has been a great insight into the changes happening in that sector. Which is why I’m not surprised by the below article, and the size of the … Continue reading Meet Your New Landlord At Home
The long and stubbornly slow recovery continues. Q1 2018 numbers are out and the Metro Phoenix office market absorbed 686,469 square feet of net positive space, lowering overall vacancy to 19.39%. We are now into the 8th straight year of positive absorption in office jobs. Vacancy varies throughout the Greater Phoenix area with a high of 30.5% in the Sky Harbor … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Update: Q1 2018
I grew up 20 minutes from the Mexican border. My dad and three of my siblings still live in Sierra Vista, AZ. I know firsthand the good and bad of living next to an international border and all the issues surrounding both sides. Given the recent political turbulence surrounding globalization, NAFTA, and the United … Continue reading Growing Together
The biggest waste we consistently see is clients underutilizing their office space. Planning for growth that never occurs, thinking you “need” the space for visiting people, and making work areas and offices too big — there are multiple ways that companies waste money. Office space, and even more important facilities, can significantly reduce costs through … Continue reading Underlying Organizational Costs
What would you do if you had an unlimited budget to improve your company’s next office renovation? Below is a great article detailing what some tech giants are doing to their interior design to keep their employees happy, productive and in the office. One simple takeaway is that these companies are doing THE most innovative and comprehensive buildout you … Continue reading How Tech Office Space Sets the Bar for Everyone Else
t’s always warm in Phoenix. In the summer, we go above 110 degrees on a regular basis. On the other hand, the Phoenix office market continues to move along at a steady pace…like it’s 70 degrees. BUT, all is not lost. Many companies are beginning to realize the true cost of having all their … Continue reading Businesses are Relocating to AZ
In this narrative I talk about disruption quite a bit. My own industry, brokerage, is in the bullseye of all tech companies. Below is a Forbes article discussing how technology will do 90% of my job within a decade. Scary, right? Here are some highlights of this work: – Automation may be capable of taking … Continue reading Getting Disrupted
Positive and Steady. That’s how I would describe the Metro Phoenix Office market’s performance for 2017. The market posted its 7th straight year of positive net absorption (net gain in office jobs) finishing at 1.83 million SF. For reference, our 25-year average is 2.5 million SF, and 2016 net absorption reached 2.9 million SF. … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Update: Q4 2017
Every year we look back and reflect on the deals, relationships, and memories we made over the past 12 months. We had another excellent year in 2017, and as we look back on the numbers we’re incredibly grateful for amazing clients and friends like you. Now that we’re a few weeks into 2018, we’re excited for … Continue reading C2 By the Numbers
As the wealthiest people in the world continue to grow their wealth, they are looking more and more at Commercial Real Estate for their portfolios. We are now seeing the uber-wealthy put 6-25% of their portfolio into CRE. This is a big trend because the rich are getting richer. Here are a few stats: HNWI’s … Continue reading How High-Net Worth Investors Invest in CRE
Every year, we share the most innovative offices from around the world (and a few from our own clients). Below is our list from 2017. First, you get a few of the best clients we were fortunate enough to work with this past year. We can hold our own here in the Valley of the … Continue reading World’s Coolest Offices 2017
Every year my team and I are lucky enough to travel to some incredible places. From exploring countries across the sea to discovering the hidden gems of our own Arizona backyard, 2017 was definitely one for the books. We’ve put together a 2-minute slideshow of our favorite memories from our travels this year to share with you. … Continue reading Happy Holidays and Our 2017 Travels
One thing I constantly stress to my team is that to be successful in this industry, you have to be willing to learn and adapt to the times, or quickly become obsolete and watch your business disappear. As a 20+ year Counselor of Real Estate (CRE), I love our annual top ten issues affecting commercial … Continue reading 10 Issues Affecting Commercial Real Estate 2017
In addition to this narrative, I also write a weekly blog called LIFEies, based on the 18 rules from my book The Fantastic Life. This week’s LIFEies discusses the many reasons to give thanks, and how cultivating a thankful heart is one of the biggest advantages we can have in life. You can read that blog here. I’m thankful for each of you … Continue reading Gratitude
The Metro Phoenix office market continued on its eight-year positive course, albeit at a slower pace, for the 3rd quarter of 2017. As any athlete will tell you, a win is a win and all the [market] players will take it. The 216,037 SF of office space absorbed fell short of expectations, however, some large leases were … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Update: Q3 2017
One of my favorite movie quotes is from Jerry Maguire – “Show me the money!” And that’s exactly what the below chart does. This very informative chart shows spending trends over the past 75 years in America. Some key points for me: — Education spending is trending up. Not sure if this is Americans valuing education … Continue reading Spending Trends in America
You heard it here first (hopefully). There is a new type of space for companies called third spaces. Third spaces are places for local people to gather and eat, with areas for creative, cultural, and community activities. This is where ideas and startups are born. If this concept takes off, the next wave of development will need … Continue reading Third Space First
If you’ve been following this narrative for a while, you know that one of my favorite topics is how technology is disrupting the world around us. Of all the technology I’ve covered, by far the most exciting development is autonomous vehicles. Almost every major tech company is involved in this technology, from Uber, to Alphabet … Continue reading Autonomous Vehicles
By next year, 36 million square feet of retail space could be vacated and returned to the market. It’s official – the global landscape of retail is changing and changing rapidly. These changes are driven by a combination of growing e-commerce use and a demographical shift in consumer behavior, which prioritizes experience over tangible goods. … Continue reading Traditional Retail is Dead
As technology has advanced over the past decade, the number of freelance and remote office professionals has increased dramatically. With only an internet connection, employees can work virtually anywhere, and many companies are embracing the perceived benefits (including less money spent on office space) of allowing employees to work remote.However, among this trend, IBM announced a … Continue reading Is the Pendulum Swinging Back?
The second quarter was not quite as busy as the first, but there is still good news as our market slowly (painfully slow) continues to improve. Vacancy held steady at 18.8% despite new construction, and we continued our streak of continuous positive net absorption (job growth). We haven’t had negative net absorption since 2009. The pace of … Continue reading 2-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Update: Q2 2017
estate are simple. A tenant needs office space. An owner needs to lease their space to a tenant. But once you get into the details of the transaction, things become complicated really fast. A good amount of my time working with clients is spent answering their questions. I even wrote 2 books on the subject … Continue reading 5 Frequently Asked CRE Questions
Finally. Maybe? No shot!! Those were my immediate thoughts when I read the below article. The war over office temperatures has been fought for decades. The ability to heat and cool their space for themselves, is one of the biggest issues our tenants have. In Arizona, this is compounded by the heat and sunlight beating on … Continue reading Finally! A Possible Solution to Thermostat Wars
We spend a large amount of time with our tenants talking about the changing workforce, and how to drive change within the company. Below is a great infographic from Forward Tilt and Allsteel on how to do exactly that — drive change. To drive change, you should know some of the myths that are perpetuated, … Continue reading Driving Change In Your Office
Whenever a client has a problem with their space or lease agreement, 9 times out of 10 we can trace that negativity back to one thing: a communication failure in the original lease negotiation. Leases are unfamiliar territory for many of our clients. Most of the time, they just don’t know the right questions to ask. Below … Continue reading Office Lease Checklist
If you want to attract top talent, listen to the demands of the workforce. More and more, companies are living by this golden rule, making changes to their workplace to reflect the unique wants and needs of incoming employees. We’ve discussed this trend in previous narratives, and now we are seeing those changes take shape … Continue reading Evolution of Work
I remember in high school (proud graduate class of ’79 Buena High School in Sierra Vista, AZ) my economics teacher Joe Bob Cole told us that the person or company that figured out how to make solar power economical would be rich. Fast forward 38 years (I just felt really old typing that) and guess … Continue reading World’s First Solar Panel Road
Q1 2017 was a very busy first quarter! Metro Phoenix office market experienced 800,000 SF of positive net absorption. Annualized, this puts the market on track to absorb 3.2 million SF for the year, and 700,000 SF over our 25-year average. Vacancy in the first quarter essentially stayed flat at 18.9%, due to new building … Continue reading 1-Minute Phoenix Metro Office Update: Q1 2017
When you start a new job at a new office, what’s the first thing you do? For most of us, the answer is get settled in your workspace. You are assigned a desk, maybe put up a few pictures, stock the drawers with your favorite pens, and meet your neighbors. But this simple act of … Continue reading UBS Reinvents the Work Space
Months ago, I wrote a narrative on old warehouses becoming indoor farms. (Click here to read.) Now, we are seeing shipping containers being used to grow produce. No transportation costs and no packaging costs are clear advantages of this new way of farming. Here are are few more: – Each 320 sq. ft. box has the growing power to … Continue reading Shipping Containers and Farming?
What are the biggest pressures facing law firms right now? I will give you three I know are on your priority list: 1) Lower costs, 2) Landing top talent, and 3) Automation. You know how I know? Because law firms are no different than any other business. The law firms we work with are finding some innovative ways … Continue reading Law Firms Get Creative
3D printing is by far one of the most exciting and innovative technologies hitting the market today. But most people have no idea how far along the technology has come. From ears to planes, car parts to prosthetic limbs, and now entire office buildings, 3D printers are already creating amazing things and disrupting entire industries in the … Continue reading A 3D-Printed Building?
The good news keeps coming. Metro Phoenix just landed 4 cities in the top 20 best US cities for finding a job in 2017. Arizona is open for business. If you are looking to relocate, or know someone who is, there is no better area than the Valley of the Sun. Here are a … Continue reading 4 in the Top 20!
The Metro Phoenix office market’s health continues to improve. Net absorption (job growth) of 2.93 million SF mirrored 2015 figures, which helped push vacancy down to 18.6% (from 19.5% at the end of 2015). Overall, lease rates are higher than they were a year ago with a current average of $24.34/SF Full Service. Rental rates still … Continue reading 1-Minute Market Update: Q4 2016 Report
We had another great year in 2016. We added new members to our families, took some fantastic trips, and executed some incredible deals. Please see below for a recap of our year by the numbers. Now we’re looking forward to 2017, excited for new opportunities and grateful for amazing clients and friends like you. Thank … Continue reading Coppola-Cheney: Looking Back on a Strong 2016
We love office space. It’s our job. And every now and then we find some really cool spaces that we just have to share. Every year, we take a look back on some of the coolest office spaces built over the past 12 months. For 2016, we saw some really cool, some classic, and a few … Continue reading World’s Coolest Office Spaces 2016
Starbucks is not office space. Sure you can have a meeting, grab a coffee, and check your email, but it’s not a real office. There are tons of new co-working or shared office concepts. And yet, office space is not going away. Below is a short and sweet article that gives a few reasons why. My top takeaways on why … Continue reading Why We Still Need Office Space
It is no secret that a company’s culture has a huge impact on its success. Today, the rapid disruption of every industry and the emergence of millennials dominating the workforce means that, more than ever, your culture is either helping or hindering your company’s ability to reach its goals. So what can you do … Continue reading Increasing Productivity – Six Factors
Each year I read tons of reports, market studies, and research. One of the best in the business is Gensler’s workplace survey. This year, Gensler takes a deep dive into innovators–how they work, how design drives innovation, and what is happening for the individual worker. At the end of this email is a link to … Continue reading Innovators and Office Space
Happy Holidays from Coppola-Cheney! We are grateful for all of you who have made 2016 one of the best years for a number of reasons: — We grew our family. Andrew and Chelsea both had their first children this year. — As a team, we visited seven different countries. — Oh, our team was also … Continue reading Happy Holidays from Coppola-Cheney!
This week’s narrative features some brand new “WOW” technology. In early 2017, Amazon is opening the first store without any checkout lines. You scan your smartphone on the way in, shop, and walk out when you are done. Watch this short video to see how it works: What will this do to shopping? … Continue reading Shop and Leave…No Checkout Line
Everyone talks about the negatives that happen in our lives. But some of the most incredible transformations are going on right in front of our eyes as well. A few months ago, I shared with you Dr. Peter Diamandis’ email about how the world is getting better (Click here to read that post). Today’s topic also comes from Diamandis, and … Continue reading Demonetized Cost of Living
Commercial Real Estate is notorious for NOT being market leaders in technology adoption. Why? The Urban Land Institute has an interesting article below that includes these explanations: Old Timers. The industry is full of dinosaurs. Senior Real Estate professionals are the key to developing successful products, having the industry knowledge and expertise that tech companies don’t have. As we see … Continue reading CRE Lagging in Tech Adoption – Why?
Once a year, we take time out from our weekly narrative to enjoy the holidays, say thank you to our clients and readers, and share Jason Gay’s hilarious rules for Thanksgiving Touch Football. This year, here are a couple of our favorites: –This is Peyton Manning’s first Thanksgiving as a retired football … Continue reading 27 More Rules of Thanksgiving Football
Crowdfunding Commercial Real Estate acquisitions is all the rage. However, like everything, there are opportunities and liabilities in placing your investment dollars in a crowdfunded deal. Below are two different articles with highlights. But first, a quick summary: Liabilities: Investors lack the industry knowledge and experience needed for real estate investments Too many uncommitted investors High legal fees … Continue reading CRE Crowdfunding
The current recovery has been anemic, not just economically but in terms of new office construction as well. Long term, the lack of new buildings is good as overbuilding is not a concern. With the emergence of millennials in the work force and live/work/play environments, suburban office markets have been even slower to recover. As the Central Business District … Continue reading Suburban Office Markets
Artificial Intelligence (AI) used to be the stuff of science fiction. But today, it’s becoming a rapidly-evolving technology with massive implications for many industries. Below is an article about the world’s first AI lawyer. Why would this make me think about commercial real estate? We represent a large number of law firms. (Check out our Law Firm Experience.) This … Continue reading World’s First AI Lawyer Hired
Steady net absorption (more space being leased due to job growth) continues to chip away at Metro Phoenix’s office vacancy as we head into Q4 2016. This quarter, Phoenix benefitted from medium-sized companies expanding. We hope these companies continue to grow. The metro Phoenix office market is on pace to perform roughly the same as 2015, i.e. … Continue reading Metro Phoenix is Getting Better…Slowly
Despite a drop in funding, tech startups are still disrupting the market at a fast rate. Below is a great article highlighting the biggest disruptive startups in commercial real estate. Read on to see what segments of the market VC money is flowing to. Not totally surprising, the tech market is down from 2015. Though … Continue reading Where VC Money is Flowing For CRE Startups
With recent massive growth in online shopping, retailers are making drastic changes to their in-store strategy. Currently, one-third of all malls cannot afford to pay for just the maintenance of their properties. This is causing a huge shift in how tenants change their value proposition. – Brands are putting more of an emphasis on in-store experiences. – … Continue reading American Malls Are Changing
A few weeks ago, I shared my thoughts about driverless cars hitting the roads and the issues office space will be facing (click here to read). Now, that technology is working with the trucking industry, and as the below article shows, it’s going to have a huge impact on many parts of our lives. Recently a platoon of driverless trucks drove across … Continue reading Driverless Trucks
Anytime you look to the future, the word disruption always enters the conversation. I spend way more time now looking at companies that are trying to disrupt the brokerage business than I ever did in my entire career. As a 25-year CCIM, I found the below article worth sending out as one of my narratives. Many … Continue reading Who Will Be the Uber of CRE?
The world is continuously becoming a better place to live. You may not know that from the news, but below I will show you why (with the help of Dr. Peter Diamandis). Peter is a true visionary. Because I am part of his A360 group, I have a cool offer for you today. His biography, How … Continue reading The World IS Getting Better!
The next five years will bring tremendous change in our lives. Part of this narrative is to look out for changes in the Commercial Real Estate industry. Virtual Reality (VR) tours are coming, and fast. Imagine being able to walk through a proposed building, pick from a variety of office furniture and layouts, choose from a detailed … Continue reading Virtual Reality Property Tours?
Today is a quick reminder to all readers (including me) about risk. As humans, we tend to minimize risk. Below is a chart from a 2012 Harvard Business Review article on risk bias. (Click here to read the full article) Here are 5 ways to mitigate some of the risks you take when leasing or acquiring … Continue reading Looking at Risk and Risk Bias
Arizona is growing again. Of all the states boasting job growth, we are at the top. We have been doing it with regional headquarters relocations, internal growth, and a robust tech market. I give a lot of credit for this growth to our pro-business Governor Doug Ducey. This narrative is decidedly not political, but our growth … Continue reading Finally AZ is Growing Again!
I have talked about autonomous cars previously. All of the coming disruption is just the next evolution in transportation. If you think driverless cars won’t happen in your lifetime, you’re wrong. Here is a link to a New York Times article about Ford putting these automobiles on the road in less than 5 years (click here to read). Starting in … Continue reading Autonomous Cars
Some of the best entrepreneurs in the United States live right here in Arizona. Instead of sharing an article this week, I thought you would enjoy a video getting inside the minds of some successful businesspeople, like my business partner Craig Coppola. “INSPIRE: Stories of the American Dream in Arizona” was created by The Arizona … Continue reading Learn From Arizona’s Top Entrepreneurs
Below is a great summary of political issues facing the real estate industry. I have highlighted some key issues specifically for commercial real estate. These include: Ongoing tax reform may make “Like Kind Exchanges” more difficult to close and lose tax benefits drying up volume. New standardized accounting principles for leases could decrease cash … Continue reading Political Real Estate Issues
We know technology is disrupting business at an incredible rate. One big area is using drones. There has been a lot of controversy and excitement about introducing drones to business, the military, and more. This technology has the potential to disrupt many industries. Below is an article detailing some companies that have already begun testing drones, including … Continue reading Using Drones in Business
Positive and steady. Those are the two words I would use to describe the office leasing market in Metro Phoenix as of mid-year 2016. The numbers in the below report also reflect this sentiment that I see every day on the streets of the market. Across the entire portfolio of buildings my team leases, we … Continue reading Positive and Steady: Q2 Office Market Insight
We have talked a lot about open offices and collaborative work spaces in this narrative. Today’s article discusses the latest buzzword, Collaboration. While collaboration is important, the real question is: At what cost? The below article succinctly lays out the disadvantages of collaboration in the office. My takeaways: -Less deep work -Longer time to complete a task … Continue reading The Collaboration Curse
Thank you for reading my weekly narrative. Some of you have been with us the entire five years. I have been blessed to get tons of great feedback, be recognized for an award, and actually get some business out of this weekly email. See below for a graph charting our progress over the past 5 years. Here … Continue reading 5 Year Email Anniversary
Big cities like New York, San Francisco, and LA have always fascinated me from a real estate perspective. To buy land, design and build buildings is a complex process. Zoning and city planning alone create innumerable obstacles for developers due to the limited amount of space. New York City’s zoning code turns 100 this year, and below … Continue reading 17,000 Manhattan Buildings Could Not Be Built Today
Sustainability is a huge priority for many in commercial real estate these days. The movement towards green, sustainable buildings has opened the doors for new innovations. The below article highlights a building in Amsterdam that received the highest score for sustainability in the world from BREEAM, the world’s leading assessment for sustainable buildings. Even more exciting for … Continue reading World’s Smartest Building
With all the new open office environments, our clients are having to work with their associates to manage the inevitable issues that arise. We have discussed these issues in previous narratives like noise, lack of privacy, no storage space, etc. Today we wanted to share a few ways to work with your team as you make the transition. These … Continue reading How Leaders Prepare for New Workplace Environment
It seems like I am stalking all Millennials these days. Readers know why. They are changing the way we do business. Below is an article on how they are changing Commercial Real Estate. Here are a few takeaways for me: Smartphones are here and they are being used for EVERYTHING. All our websites, media, packages, flyers etc. need … Continue reading Stalking Millennials and CRE
1,000 cars valet parked in a garage. No humans. Unreal. See the story below and if you are really interested, check out the two minute video of the largest parking garage in Europe that is completely run by robots. I have sent some previous narratives on robotics and how it is eliminating jobs. This is one area it will change – … Continue reading Robotic Parking
While we specialize in leasing commercial office space, we watch the housing market very closely. Housing is a precursor to office space growth. Regular readers know this housing market recovery has been slow and multifamily has been on fire for the past 5-6 years. While there are lots of reasons for this, affordability may be one of them. The below … Continue reading How Much You Need to Make to Buy a Home
Our team handles 50+ tenant advisory assignments every year. Why? We like to think it is because we are really good. But there are many other reasons to hire a broker including: Researching and looking into office space takes up a large amount of time. Do you have the luxury of stepping away from your immediate job responsibilities … Continue reading Why Use a Broker?
I follow housing trends. I used to follow homebuilding, but now I follow housing. It’s a little like saying I used to follow Global Warming but now I follow Climate Change. Here’s why—Millennials. Today there are 9 million more renters than just a decade ago. That is a ton, but what really caught my eye was that … Continue reading 49% Of All Renters Are Cost Burdened
Workspace design continues to be a hot topic. Last week, I talked about the huge issues that come with open design that we are now discussing with all of our clients. Below my comments is an infographic on a survey that Cort Furniture compiled on workplace trends. I follow it up with a bonus article on how designers are … Continue reading Boosting Productivity in the Office
Yes, open office is all the rage. But there is fallout (as I get older, I can now see there is good and bad in literally everything). Below is a contrarian view on the whole open office collaborative space perspective. Around 70% of all offices are now building open office environments. And with all this openness comes … Continue reading The Open Office Trap
Office leasing is off to a good start in 2016. Here in Metro Phoenix, the market saw 641,000 square feet (SF) of net absorption (office jobs added) recorded in the first quarter. This means Metro Phoenix is on track to absorb approximately 2.5 million SF for the year. That would mean another year of consistent, average … Continue reading Understanding The Office Market: Q1 2016 Phoenix Office Report
Each January, I attend Abundance 360 produced by Peter Diamandis. One takeaway this year was how fast driverless cars are becoming a reality. This will happen in our lifetime. Google autonomous cars have over 1,000,000 miles in Palo Alto (click here). Tesla has a new package that will drive your car on the highway (click here) and there are at least … Continue reading Game Changing Trend is Happening Right Now
I spend a ton of time working with my team on growing their individual skills, increasing our deliverables and really making sure we are engaged. As we work with big and small companies and I talk to our clients, engagement has become one of the most desired (and least attainable) traits in companies today. A few … Continue reading Employee Engagement Sucks. Why?
This narrative is focused on all things commercial real estate. We also like to look outside our world to see what will be coming soon to a commercial project near you. Below is a short article about a building currently under construction on Cornell Tech’s Roosevelt Island Campus. In short, it is the first high-rise residential building … Continue reading Passive House Residential Ups the Ante
The amount of office space allocated for each employee continues to fall. Below is a graph and a short description why from Of Interest Today. While we all know it is happening, how does it affect landlords, tenants and investors? Depending on your perspective, you get massive differences: Owners: Issues with parking shortage, not enough A/C to cool all … Continue reading Square Feet Per Employee Continues to Drop
The Wall Street Journal did a detailed study on the urbanization of our world, and the challenges and strengths that come from this growth. Below are several interactive maps worth clicking on. Skip the first video unless you are into the topic, but be sure to pay attention as: –The world urbanizes –Key cities grow –Manhattan becomes Gotham … Continue reading Cities as Digital Laboratories
I have been watching this trend unfold in the residential construction industry for the past year. Now it is spreading to all sectors. Contractors and subcontractors are having a heck of a time hiring to fill needs. In fact, 50% or more of all contractors and subcontractors are having issues. What does this mean for the market? My … Continue reading Massive Construction Labor Shortages
Last week, I sent an infographic on the huge wave of Millennials and what that means to the workforce and real estate industry. Today, I want to take that discussion a step further and talk about how Millennials design and influence the workplace. Lisa Bentley with McCarthy Nordburg, provided me with two insightful articles below that you can … Continue reading Millennial Design Influence in the Workplace
Below is a great infographic from UpNest on Millennials and buying residential real estate. Here are some stats that stand out: –25% of all Americans are Millennials (between 18 and 34 years old)–44.2% are minority or belong to an ethnic group—Within 10 years, 75% of the US workforce will be Millennials–75% want to buy (when they buy) a … Continue reading The Real Estate Industry & Millennials
Want to know a disconnect between Commercial office developers and job creation? Developers are building bigger floorplates while job creation is coming from small companies. When I got into the business, office floorplates in Metro Phoenix averaged 10-15,000/sf. Today, new construction is looking at floorplates with a minimum of 25,000/sf all the way to 40,000/sf for multi-tenant office … Continue reading 47% of Jobs Created by Companies with Under 50 Employees and 9 Other Trends
Below are a couple of handy charts. First, a graphic that shows the top 10 and bottom 10 states for taxes. I have also pulled a chart that shows state-by-state comparisons well. Not too many surprises, but here are a few highlights: –California and New York have the highest taxes. –Arizona is in the middle, ranked 24th. –Texas has been … Continue reading State By State Business Tax Climate
2015 was another great year for our team. Please see below for a recap of our year by the numbers. As we head into our 25th year at Lee & Associates Arizona, we are excited about new opportunities and blessed to have great clients. Thank you for being a part of our future. Craig 602.954.3762 ccoppola@leearizona.com P.S.- In … Continue reading Coppola-Cheney: A Review of a Strong 2015
In 10 short years, what will work look like? Gensler interviewed four futurists on this topic and below is the outcome. I have highlighted my biggest insights including these: –45% of Millennials are nonwhite. How will that affect the commercial real estate industry? Certainly the retail sector will be turned around as will all marketing campaigns. –How do real … Continue reading Work in 2025
Seeing Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens recently I cannot help but draw a parallel to the world of Metro Phoenix office leasing. Why? Because, like “the force,” net absorption awakened in 2015 posting 3.4 million square feet. This is the highest absorption since 2005 and has pushed our vacancy rate below 20% for the first time in eight years. (By … Continue reading How Do Star Wars and the Phoenix Office Market Relate? Q4 2015 Phoenix Market Report
Several weeks ago, I talked about the PC 16 (please click here for the narrative) and how Mexico was one of the 16. I grew up in Sierra Vista, Arizona less than 20 miles from the Mexican border. I follow Mexican manufacturing, its economy and the maquiladora program very closely. The 50 year old maquiladora program allows a factory in Mexico, run by … Continue reading Maquiladora- What does that mean?
Time flies. The market changes. Cycles occur. AND as of today, this is our 300th narrative. We have grown from 700 to over 28,000 weekly readers with an open rate that is double the industry standard. Thank you for your support and readership. For 2016, we are going to add some humor throughout the year…Please watch this thirty second preview before … Continue reading 300 and Counting
Some good news for Arizona job growth (my key indicator for office space net absorption). In November, Forbes projected Arizona to lead the United States in job growth for the next couple years. Traditionally, Arizona has been a boom/bust cyclical state. Readers of this narrative know that this cycle, for the first time, we have not been in the top … Continue reading Arizona to Lead in Job Growth
To finish the year off, I thought we would take a look back at the coolest office spaces across the world for 2015 as well as a few really special transactions that we have been fortunate to work on ourselves. This year we had the opportunity to work with great companies who built awesome spaces. Be sure to scroll … Continue reading The World’s Coolest Offices
Happy Holidays! At The Coppola-Cheney Group, we have a culture of traveling the United States and the world. This year, 2015, was no exception. Below is our annual holiday card with photos we took of some of the coolest places on Earth. The slide show is just over a minute long, so take a look. We hope adventure is on … Continue reading Take a Minute to Travel the World
Robots are changing the world. We know that. Below are two articles that will update you on how the job market is changing with the advent of robots. First is an article that talks about five white collar jobs where robots are already replacing humans. How about: Lawyers—Software is here doing the job of attorneys who did document review. Try 1.5 million documents analyzed … Continue reading White Collar Jobs Going to Robots
Sometimes the perfect holiday gift comes without warning. Today is your lucky day! This week, my fourth book, Chasing Excellence, Real Life Stories form the Streets is available on Amazon. It’s the perfect stocking stuffer for friends and family. You can get it by clicking here. On a serious note, I am so honored to share this book that I’ve written with our … Continue reading Chasing Excellence
One of the reasons Arizona has been a net in-migration state since its inception is because of our affordability. One key component of affordability is being able to buy a reasonably priced house. Click here to see my earlier perspective on the housing market. Arizona Residents can buy a house substantially below California and cheaper than most surrounding markets (The question is … Continue reading More Housing and Job Market Updates
Job growth has muddled along nationwide. Housing has been even slower. But there are bright spots and Arizona is in the mix. Below are two different graphics, one on job creation and the other on the healthiest housing markets. I will be sending a specific Metro Phoenix housing narrative in the next week or two, but for now take … Continue reading Metropolitan Phoenix Housing Market at a Glance
Fifty-one weeks a year this narrative is informational, commercial real estate focused and, we think, the best in our field. Not this week. Once again we bring you Jason Gay’s Rules for Thanksgiving touch football. Yay! For me: –#5–A bit of pregame stretching. Puts down the box of blueberry muffins, stands up. Ok that’s good … Continue reading 33 more rules for your family’s Thanksgiving touch football game
When I first got into commercial real estate, the Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) had just been created. It didn’t have any case history or track record. With that in mind, I thought I would do a quick review to make sure the LLC is still the right structure for most real estate investments. Turns out, it still is for the … Continue reading Is an LLC the Right Choice for my Commercial Real Estate Investment?
Below is a infographic on the Post China 16 (PC 16) that fascinated me. I know that China’s maturation has jumpstarted manufacturing growth in other countries. What I didn’t realize is the sheer number of countries affected. See below to grasp the number and diversity. These countries include: –All of Indonesia –Cambodia and Vietnam … Continue reading Post China 16
2015 is shaping up to be a lot like 2014 for the Metro Phoenix Office market: i.e. the continuation of the long, steady, climb out of the Great Recession. Below is a link to our 3rd Quarter Phoenix Office Market Report and here is a brief summary: The overall market had a great … Continue reading Q3 2015 Phoenix Market Office Report
Over the past couple years, I have spent quite a bit of time thinking, researching and writing about Commercial Real Estate Tech companies (don’t worry, I will not do another five day series this January. Ha). Why? The second graph below says it all. Here are some highlights from the article: –NYC and Silicon … Continue reading The Rise of Real Estate Tech
“Appraisal” is one topic that we spend very little time talking about, until you need to refinance or you are acquiring a new asset. Below is a great summary article about appraisals. Read it now, or store it away for when you need to recall what is important. I have highlighted some key areas that have … Continue reading 10 Things to Know About Commercial Real Estate Appraisal
As an office broker, I am not usually asked about supply chain activities. Our industrial brokers, however, live it every day. There is a huge disruption happening in the supply chain. Below is some detailed (and slightly over my head) information on 10 ways big data (analyzing over 52 different sources) is disrupting the supply … Continue reading Ten Ways Big Data Is Revolutionizing Supply Chain Management
Apartment development and rents have been the talk of this cycle’s development. I found a couple different examples of apartment comparisons: First, a look at which states offer the most square footage across the US. In Detroit you can rent an 818 SF place for the same price you get for a 285 SF place in San Francisco. I heard a few stories … Continue reading What DOES $1,500 buy you? – Very Different Apartment Comparisons Across the US and Around the World
Okay, now things are getting creepy. Or I am just getting old fast. Below are the coming trends on wearable technology and now implantable technology and how it is changing the office worker. How about: –No more fobs to get into your office –No need to take your gym membership card to the gym –Swipe … Continue reading Implantable Technology for Your Employees?
Most of the time we hear how important China is becoming; how the reemergence of Russia is going to affect the US; and of course all the dramatic stories of the meltdowns of Greece and now Puerto Rico. I always try to wrap my head around how these developments will play out in my backyard … Continue reading Wrap Your Head Around These Companies vs. Other Countries
A good client of ours called last week as he was preparing for a company-wide meeting to talk about their office lease. It was an initial meeting to go over their future office needs and figure out if they would be renewing or relocating. He asked for a list of some questions they should be … Continue reading 10 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Choosing an Office Space
Across the country, the hottest markets have been those with a tech/startup employment driver. Other growth markets were locations with oil, but those are now mostly gone. Dead. This cycle, most markets are growing based on their ability to attract tech companies and startups. In Arizona, for the first time ever, this has been a large part of our net … Continue reading Landlords Are Trying Not to Rent to Startups
You won’t believe what is happening underground in Kansas City. SubTropolis has been around since 1964, but I just found out about it thanks to Ann McCartney with Lighthouse Commercial Finance. Check out all the companies that have space in this underground industrial park. The entire thing is an excavated mine the size of 140 … Continue reading SubTropolis: The Massive Business Complex Buried Under Kansas City
The tech market is hot. The Commercial Real Estate tech market is frothy. The reasons behind why there is so much interest in real estate right now are summarized nicely in my green highlights below. The market is gigantic. I know I bored a few of you with my five-day-in-a-row slog of all the real estate start up … Continue reading The Impending Opportunity In Real Estate Technology
While there are some crazy numbers on the below graph (52,000 brokers at CBRE), I found the information pretty interesting. There is a huge market consolidation occurring in the commercial real estate brokerage sector. We see this continuing as firms try to keep pace with global market coverage and try to be all things to all clients. Since … Continue reading 2015 Top Brokerage Firms
Last week, I talked about world realities. This week, the statistics on the US population, which are staggering. –1 in 7 Americans live in one of three cities (New York, Chicago, and LA). –If you look at the top 10 largest cities, almost one in three people live in these. –America has become urban – … Continue reading Part Two on Population — USA
Today and next week, I am going to spend a little time on population and share some interesting realities. Below is a link to a very cool interactive map from Brookings. To get more detailed information on the cities that interest you, click on the individual cities. Here are a few world realities: –300 places … Continue reading Population Realities — A Two-Part Series. Today–The World
It’s no surprise that square feet per office employee is declining. The open office concept is changing the world and the biggest user of office space in this cycle is…..Tech companies. But this trend has been coming for a long time; see the graph below. In addition to the SF per employee graph there are … Continue reading Trends in Square Feet per Office Employee
Like the national office market, the Metro Phoenix Office Market is rebounding at a gradual pace. Last week Craig sent out a good update on the national office market from The Wall Street Journal. (Click here for his narrative in case you missed it) Today I’m sending you an update on the progress we’re seeing in Phoenix. The WSJ article mentions … Continue reading Market Insight: Q2 2015 Phoenix Office Report
I just got a peek at our Q2, 2015 Metro Phoenix office numbers and once again we are mirroring the national office market. It’s a methodical and frustratingly-slow recovery. Andrew will highlight Phoenix in the next few weeks, but today I am focusing on the National office market. Below is a nice Wall Street Journal update on the national … Continue reading Office Market Is on a Slow Roll
Real Estate as the fourth asset class is finally becoming a reality. Why is this important? Well, the amount of capital that has and will flow into our industry is astonishing. Billions of dollars, an additional $500 billion to be exact. This money will make our market more liquid, provide for stability in markets and will change the way properties … Continue reading 4th Asset Class: Real Estate
As competition for hiring millennials continues to increase, companies are trying to lure them by moving into the city to offer urban living as a perk. Is this a long term trend? For me, I think it is something that may continue for the next 5-10 years. But I believe that millennials will ultimately start … Continue reading Tech Firms Moving to the City
Below is an article on the most amazing use for warehouses—an indoor farm. This farm is 100 times more productive than traditional farms. Even if you have no interest in the topic, take a minute to scroll down and look at the photos. Here are some amazing facts: –25,000 SF of space –Produces 10,000 heads … Continue reading World’s Largest Indoor Farm
A recent Gallup study shows that 70% of Americans are negative about their job. That woke me up. A full 20% are actively disengaged and are trying to work against their company. The goal of this narrative is not leadership or coaching, but rather bringing office space users topics of interest. We spend all our time, every day making sure our tenants … Continue reading 70% of Americans Negative About Their Jobs?
Buying an island is a very cool thought. Who would not want that? The island in Hawaii that Larry Ellison now owns 97% of is no ordinary tiny island. Quite the opposite, it is 90,000 acres. Just throw in $300 million, buy an airline to service the place and you could have something cool. Think it sounds like paradise? Not so fast. The island has … Continue reading Larry Ellison Bought an Island in Hawaii
For the past 30 years we have been analyzing operating expenses for the tenants we represent. It’s vital for tenants to understand how operating expenses work because this is a huge potential long term and expensive hidden cost. Here are a few items to watch out for in a tenant lease: –Not getting a grossed … Continue reading Operating Expenses? Yes! And It’s Important.
As you know, I make my living in the office space market. However, I still like to keep up with trends outside of the industry and how they will eventually affect office space. Below is an article about the megatrend now taking place in robotics and what amazing changes are occurring. One of the reasons job recovery has been slower … Continue reading The Rise of Robotics
OK, so I am not sure if this is pure genius or complete BS. Then again, I know nothing about anthropological research. Below is a short article that discusses the cultural norm of approximately seven people being the ideal group size. Your teams should be seven (plus or minus two), and your office space groups should be the same. Why? –The team can … Continue reading Nesting in Office Space Design
The first 15 years in brokerage, I occasionally took assignments as a real estate expert in litigation. I stopped for a number of reasons, but primarily because I could not figure out how to be great at brokerage and be great as a real estate expert in litigation. I know only a small portion of the readers will … Continue reading Hiring a RE Expert for Litigation
Below is a great snapshot of Arizona and where we are with our economy. In addition, I’ve added a couple extra tidbits that are not in the below infographic: –Arizona still lags in job creation. We are not quite back to 100 percent of our jobs lost (even though we have regained 314,000). This is the first … Continue reading Snapshot of Arizona Economy
Last year, we sent an article to a select few Landlord clients that we work with who own buildings. That email was one of the most opened narratives we have ever sent. The topic?—Parking lot security. I didn’t see that coming. Inspired by that email, below are two cool articles about what is going on in the modern … Continue reading The Changing Face/Space of Parking: Impact on Commercial Real Estate
Today, I want to share with you a company that has a wonderful idea. If they can get this commercialized, it would revolutionize parking lots and roads. Imagine solar panels as surfaces in parking lots, roads and even highways. This is a short article with just some highlights. I would love to see the day where an abundance of our … Continue reading Coolest Technology that Could Affect Commercial Real Estate
For the past couple years, we have been tracking the proposed law change that will reclassify the way businesses account for their commercial leases. Since 1977, a company’s office lease has been treated as an operating expense. Businesses may soon be forced to record it on their balance sheet under new accounting rules. If this new … Continue reading A Timeline of Lease Accounting
Over the years, I have leased space to several executive suite operators. These “tenants” lease a large amount of space, then re-lease it to small tenants sharing conference rooms, administration services, etc. During the last recession, most of them closed down leaving a specialized kind of operator – small, local and personal. Regus is the only international company that made it through … Continue reading WeWork: Now a $5 Billion Co-Working Startup
Dynamic Architecture is designing a whole new way to build buildings AND each floor moves independently while rotating. Pretty cool, huh? Here are some highlights: 1—Each floor rotates 360 degrees, independently or in a concerted manner. Much like the fancy restaurant at the top of a building we have all been to, but in these buildings every floor rotates. … Continue reading Buildings That Move???
While we represent office tenants and landlords each and every day, we are always looking to give our clients basic, simple advice. Below is an article that does this for creating functional office space. When we work with our tenant clients, we focus on the basics like: 1—Determine how much space the company will need (I … Continue reading Functional Office Space Basics
Leave it to The Economist to call squeezing office space “pressed suits.” Not only is office space becoming more open, it is becoming less personal. Mobile workers and the fact that 50% of all workers are not in the office at any given time, have led to no personal desk environments. In many offices, you show up and get assigned a desk … Continue reading Pressed Suits in Your Office?
Every now and then I see a cool graphic that I need to share. Below is one I pulled from National Geographic on commuting and how much time is spent per year in rush hour all over the world. My home of Phoenix is pretty low, but if you live in London, Stuttgart, Paris or Los Angeles—sorry. … Continue reading Commuter Science
Once a year I send out the coolest office spaces in the world. Below is the 2014 version. Take a look at some really off the wall, crazy and cool spaces. The article is so big, we had to put just a few of the photos below, but a link to the entire article is just a click away highlighted … Continue reading World’s Coolest Offices 2014
World migration is not a typical topic on my mind. However, the immigration from Mexico to the US is. You see, I was raised in a city less than 20 miles from the Mexican border. My parents still live in Sierra Vista, ground zero for the illegal immigrant movement and the border patrol. So immigration is a topic … Continue reading Where Everyone in the World is Migrating – in One Gorgeous Chart
Once a year, I like to take a break from my weekly narrative to do two things: First, I like to look back and see how we did in 2014 as a team. Below is our year by the numbers. It was a fine year. I am grateful for our clients and proud of the work we … Continue reading The Coppola-Cheney Group: A Look Back at a Solid 2014
I have been working a lot over the past few months. Sitting, typing, meeting. Sound familiar? Below is a cool infographic on what happens when we sit all the time. The results are not very good. So I have highlighted in yellow some ways to offset all the sitting. Doing some cat/cow yoga postures in the office is always fashionable, right? On … Continue reading What Happens When You Sit All Day?
The Urban Land Institute is a thoughtful group of committed real estate practitioners who are global in their membership and thoughts. They have recently produced their emerging trends for 2015. You can click here for the complete document. Below I have included a few pages of Chapter 1 for a quick review, the entire document is lengthy. Here are my personal highlights—most of … Continue reading Top 10 Emerging Trends in Real Estate for 2015
In my final narrative for the week, I thought I would end with the company that I believe has made the most impact on our business: CoStar. Before CoStar, all companies had to do their own property research. This was time consuming and expensive. When I first started in the industry, each quarter, every broker in our firm had to … Continue reading Day 5: The One Commercial Real Estate Tech Company that Changed Our World
Hope you are finding this week’s series interesting. We are in the homestretch. Below are six additional companies to review. Zillow is probably the only household name among them. Enjoy. Craig 602.954.3762 ccoppola@leearizona.com Company Name: http://www.gethightower.com/ Upper Management: Brandon Weber, CEO Donald DeSantis, CDO Niall Smart, CTO Business Strategy: Hightower’s strategy is two-fold: One, to sell software to owners who … Continue reading Day 4: Tech Companies Trying to Eliminate/Assist Commercial Brokerage
Over the next two days, we will review 12 different technology companies that are in the commercial real estate space. Before I look at the companies that are trying to take business from commercial brokerage companies, a little background is necessary. I want to break the commercial brokerage industry down into two key segments: leasing and investment sales. … Continue reading Day 3: Tech Companies Trying to Eliminate/Assist Commercial Brokerage-First Six
Day Two of our Five-Day Series–In the early 2000’s, before the dot com bubble burst, hundreds of millions of dollars were invested and lost by startup companies trying to turn the commercial brokerage process into an automated endeavor. The theory was, and still is, that real estate brokerage can be automated like the travel agent business and … Continue reading Day 2: Why Tech Has Stayed Out of Brokerage for So Long and A Case Study of a Company Trying to Change It
I spent the last six months reviewing technology companies that are trying to disrupt the commercial brokerage industry in various ways. Over the next five consecutive days, I am going to share with you a number of these companies, what they are trying to do, who has invested in them and, of course, my take on their … Continue reading A Special 5-Day Series on Technology Companies Trying to Replace Commercial Brokerage–Day 1
A lot can happen in a year. Our fourth quarter 2014 Phoenix Office Market Report came out last week and it looks noticeably different than our Q4 2013 report. Below is a link to the report and here’s a brief summary: The metropolitan Phoenix office market absorbed 620,000 net square feet (SF) in Q4 to push …