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Despite the impact of COVID-19 still reverberating throughout the multifamily industry, expect acquisitions to be strong in 2021 with several companies such as Colony Hills Capital, Middleburg Communities and others to focus heavily on battleground markets when pursuing property acquisitions next year. Geography will play a much bigger role in acquisitions, with developers focusing heavily More

The smoothie and juice industry has been booming with growth during the pandemic and continues to have a strong national expansion forecast. With stress levels at an all-time high due to factors such as the fluctuating economy, political strife and COVID-19 concerns, Americans are gravitating to health-boosting solutions that are good for their immune systems. More

Many mall and retail renovation plans for 2021 are focused on adding open green space and more outdoor communal areas that serve as a solace to coronavirus concerns. Mixed-use developments are also trending, especially for taking over demolished vacant big-box mall space. Much of the development is occurring outside of major metropolitan hubs, with the More

Lenders perceive multifamily as the strongest and safest real estate asset class going forward. The agency lenders have been extremely aggressive on pricing with no changes in sight. Count on banks, life companies and CMBS lenders to become more aggressive on terms, specifically debt service coverage ratios and cash-out restrictions, in order to compete with More

Amenities development in new projects will shift dramatically as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with multifamily developers hoping to protect upcoming ground-up projects from the current — and any future potential — pandemics. Allen Morris expects amenities to evolve as a result of changing demands from incoming tenants. Global City Development will watch amenities More

Cell phones are a daily necessity that the populace cannot live without and even with the ongoing coronavirus concerns, people will make an exception with leaving their homes when it comes to repairing their cell phones. As a result, cell phone repair stores still have plenty of guaranteed foot traffic. Although there are many mom-and-pop More

Retail stores that sell secondhand merchandise are seeing an uptick of growth, perhaps because of economic uncertainties due to the fallout from COVID-19. The popularity of secondhand stores coincides with a quarantined populace that has had extra time to sort through and purge items in their own closets. There is also the allure of earning More

Condominium borrowers will see available capital from banks, debt funds, bridge and private money lenders. Watch for condo lending to be more location and borrower specific than in the past. Lenders will be extremely conservative and require additional borrower equity. Borrowers will see 5% to 10% lower leverage and an increased focus on pre-sales. Lenders More

There is an increasingly popular trend this year in which retail spaces are being converted into fulfillment-only centers. Amazon got the ball rolling in August with rumors that some of Simon Property Group’s big-box mall spaces may become Amazon fulfillment centers. Variations of this online fulfillment need are showing up in “dark stores,” in which More

There has been a major expansion push recently with regards to cookie shops. The national yearning for the comforting, feel-good sensation that fresh baked cookies represent is spurring demand for these retailers. Customers are drawn to impulse treat purchases that will sweeten their moods in these increasingly stressful pandemic-era times. Cookie brands tend to seek More

Count on an influx of developers wanting to repurpose big-box anchor mall spaces, specifically former Sears stores, into apartments. This trend has especially revved up as the coronavirus lockdowns are adversely affecting mall traffic. There are ample retailers and restaurant chains that are especially attracted to the big-box apartment conversion concept, as it means there More

Count on many lenders, especially the agencies and banks, to be active in the small-balance multifamily space going forward. Small-balance properties will continue to be sought after as they include a big component of workforce housing, which is in high demand. Lenders will especially target small properties with an affordability component. Rates will remain low More