The document provides a summary of the U.S. economic and commercial real estate outlook from Cushman & Wakefield for April 2017. It discusses how 2017 started slowly with rising capitalization rates and decelerating price returns. U.S. investment sales volumes in the first quarter of 2017 were down 42% and 18% compared to the first quarter of 2016 for single asset and portfolio deals respectively. The summary explores reasons for the slow start to the year including general uncertainty in the economy, real estate cycle, and their interplay with politics.
Uncertainty and Fundamentals Driving Capital Decisions - Keynote David Bitner of Cushman & Wakefield
1. U.S. Economic &
Commercial Real
Estate Outlook
April 2017
David Bitner
Cushman & Wakefield
Head of Americas Capital Markets Research
2. 2017 Is Off To A Slow Start
Cap rates rose, price returns broadly positive but decelerating
Source: RCA, Cushman & Wakefield Research
U.S. Investment Sales Volumes: Deals Over $5M
Dollars in billions
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
2010Q1 2011Q1 2012Q1 2013Q1 2014Q1 2015Q1 2016Q1 2017Q1
Down 42%
vs. Q1 '16
Down 18%
vs. Q1'16
Portfolio
Single Asset
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7. This Is Already The Third Longest Expansion…
Giving some investors pause
36
58
73
92
93
106
120
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
1970
1975
2001
1982
2009
1961
1991
Source: National Bureau of Economic Research, Cushman & Wakefield Research
Ranking Expansions By Duration
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8. … But Expansions Don’t Die Of Old Age
Two requirements for a recession: Excesses & Triggers
EXCESSES
1982-inflation
1990-Commercial Real Estate
2001-Dot Com boom
2007-Housing Bubble
TRIGGERS
1982-Federal Reserve Tightening
(19.5% Fed funds rate)
1990-Fed Tightening /Iraq invades
Kuwait
2001-Fed tightening/Dot com
bubble burst/ 9-11
2007-Financial crisis
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9. What’s the Catalyst Today?
Possible excesses that could lead to recession
• Equity Markets?
• Possibly…P/E is rising
• Oil?
• Unlikely
• Fed?
• Not Aggressive
• Other?
• The wild card may be in policies implemented by the new administration
Trade?
Immigration?
Other?
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11. Growth Gets A Second Wind
Source: Conference Board, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Cushman & Wakefield Research
Leading Economic Indicators : January 2010 - Present
3-month % Change
-1%
0%
1%
2%
3%
Jan-10 Jan-11 Jan-12 Jan-13 Jan-14 Jan-15 Jan-16 Jan-17
Suggests continued economic
acceleration
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12. Tighter Labor Markets, Higher Wages
12
2.0%
3.0%
4.0%
5.0%
6.0%
7.0%
8.0%
9.0%
10.0%
2000Q2
2003Q4
2007Q2
2010Q4
2014Q2
2017Q4
Unemployment Rate
U.S. at Full Employment
Full Employment = 5%
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
5,500
6,000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Thousands
Job Openings New Hires
Jobs are
going
unfilled
Wage Pressures Are Forming
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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13. Broad-Based Wage Growth Accelerating
Could we see the beginning of a virtuous cycle with corporate investment?
1.5%
2.0%
2.5%
3.0%
3.5%
4.0%
4.5%
5.0%
5.5%
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta , Cushman & Wakefield Research
Atlanta Fed Median Wage Growth Tracker
YoY Percent Growth (%)
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16. Trump Policies And Timing Uncertain..
…but represent an upside option to economy and CRE
TAX REFORM PROPOSALS
Next on the Agenda?
Reduce Corporate income tax from 35% to 15%
Top income tax bracket reduced from 39.6% to 33%, number of brackets from 7 to 3
Leave capital gains tax at 20%
Repeal the estate tax and eliminate the alternative minimum tax
Advocated for a one-off 10% tax rate on repatriated corporate earnings
REGULATION POLICIES
Executive Orders
Dismantle Dodd-Frank law
Repeal & Replace Obamacare
(Put off?)
End the war on coal
American energy dominance declared strategic priority
Keystone Pipeline Permitted
SPENDING PROPOSALS
No Update
Spend $1 trillion on infrastructure over 10 years much of it privately funded
Eliminate the sequester on defense spending (boost troop levels, number of ships,
aircrafts and bolster missile defense system
Eliminate government waste and budget gimmicks
Halt new trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Enforce existing trade treaties more strictly
Potentially renegotiate existing treaties like NAFTA
Strengthen U.S. stance against currency manipulation
TRADE AND GLOBALIZATION
Executive Orders
Least clear impact near-term
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17. Trump And The Economy: Stronger Growth Likely
Most businesses will benefit from stronger consumer and business spending growth
1.6%
2.1%
1.7%
1.5%
1.6%
2.3%
3.0%
2.0%
2016 2017 2018 2019
Pre-Election Baseline Post-Election baseline
Source: Cushman & Wakefield
C&W U.S. Real GDP Growth Forecast
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20. Supply Pipeline Increasing, but Still Very Disciplined
20
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
Office Completions, msf
Completions Completions as % of Inventory
0.0%
0.5%
1.0%
1.5%
2.0%
2.5%
3.0%
3.5%
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
Completions as % of Inventory
Source: Cushman & Wakefield Research
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21. Where the Construction Is Happening
21
0.0%
1.0%
2.0%
3.0%
4.0%
5.0%
6.0%
7.0%
8.0%
9.0%
U/C as % of Inv
U.S. Average: 1.9%
Most at Risk Areas of Opportunity
Source: Cushman & Wakefield Research
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22. Who’s Overbuilding/Underbuilding
70% of New Construction Happening in These Markets
22
Market U/C next 2 years
Total Absorption
2015-16
Market Notes
Clearest
Opportunities
1 San Jose, CA 6,553,828 6,455,024 About right, but absorption is slowing
2 Dallas/Fort Worth, TX 5,668,473 8,090,071 Underbuilding
3 Denver, CO 4,569,201 1,736,594 Overbuilding
4 Northern VA 4,134,642 614,505 Overbuilding, but demand is rebounding
5 Seattle, WA 4,092,123 6,708,283 Underbuilding
6 San Francisco, CA 4,085,515 1,467,832 Overbuilding
7 Washington, DC 4,080,760 2,670,498 Overbuilding, but demand is rebounding
8 Atlanta, GA 3,674,415 4,510,170 Underbuilding
9 Austin, TX 3,258,552 4,637,833 Underbuilding
10 Boston, MA 2,942,260 1,985,292 Overbuilding by a little
11 New York – Midtown 2,574,509 5,562,073 Underbuilding
12 New York – Downtown 2,491,861 -15,642 Overbuilding, but banks are poised to grow
13 Nashville, TN 2,355,673 2,625,819 About right
14 New York – Brooklyn 2,119,100 -1,989,526 Overbuilding, but needs new product
15 Orange County, CA 2,001,103 2,450,033 About right
16 Chicago, IL 1,993,950 6,952,727 Underbuilding
17 Charlotte, NC 1,907,798 3,422,808 Underbuilding
18 Raleigh/Durham, NC 1,897,480 2,894,671 Underbuilding
19 Salt Lake City, UT 1,740,064 1,786,772 About right
20 Los Angeles Metro 1,664,463 6,023,442 Underbuilding
Source: Cushman & Wakefield Research
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24. Vacancies To Remain Low Despite New Supply
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017F
2018F
2019F
Net Absorption, units Deliveries, units
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017F
2019F
Vacancy Rate
U.S. Net Absorption U.S. Vacancy Rate
Historical average = 5.3%
Source: Reis, Cushman & Wakefield Research
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25. Millennials Nearing Prime Home Buying Years
Change in Population, Millions
25
2015
2020
Prime Renter Surge
Prime Buyer Surge
BY 2020, AN
ADDITIONAL 3.3
MILLION PEOPLE
WILL ENTER
PRIME HOME
BUYING AGES
Source: Census Bureau, Cushman & Wakefield Research
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
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30. 2016 Was The Third Largest Year For Transactions Volumes
In U.S. History…And Predict 2017 Will Be Fourth Or Fifth
30
U.S. Investment Sales Volumes
Dollars in billions
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017F 2018F
Individual Asset Portfolio Entity
1
2
3
4
56 7
Source: Cushman & Wakefield Research, Real Capital Analytics
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31. Mountain Of Capital Targeting CRE Assets
Fundraising momentum for debt and opportunistic funds
31
Dry Powder: Close-end U.S. Real Estate Funds
Dollars in billions
16
22
25 26
36
55
70
84 84
92
78
92
79
114
102
134 133
141
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
53% above previous cycle peak
Source: Cushman & Wakefield Research, Preqin
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32. Institutions Upping Real Estate Allocations
Secular increase in capital to the market
32
Institutional Real Estate Allocations Monitor: Average Target Allocation to Real Estate
Percent (%)
8.9%
9.3%
9.6%
9.9%
10.3%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017E
Source: Cushman & Wakefield Research, Cornell Baker – Hodes Weill 2016 Institutional Real Estate Allocations Monitor
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33. 33
And yet…the market is
changing as it becomes ever
harder to deploy capital
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34. We Have Been Living In A “Beta Bonanza” As Cap Rates
Have Compressed
RCA/Moody's U.S. All-Property CPPI vs. U.S. All Property Cap Rate
Growth of a dollar ($), cap rate (%)
6.0%
6.2%
6.4%
6.6%
6.8%
7.0%
7.2%
7.4%
7.6%
7.8%
$0.80
$1.00
$1.20
$1.40
$1.60
$1.80
$2.00
$2.20
Dec-09
Mar-10
Jun-10
Sep-10
Dec-10
Mar-11
Jun-11
Sep-11
Dec-11
Mar-12
Jun-12
Sep-12
Dec-12
Mar-13
Jun-13
Sep-13
Dec-13
Mar-14
Jun-14
Sep-14
Dec-14
Mar-15
Jun-15
Sep-15
Dec-15
Mar-16
Jun-16
Sep-16
Dec-16
U.S. All-Property CPPI U.S. All Property Cap Rate
$2.05
Source: Cushman & Wakefield Research, Real Capital Analytics
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35. Market returns will moderate
because there are “fewer ways to
win” – it’s the end of the easy
times…but not the end of the good
times
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38. Prime product in prime markets
have been “goldilocks” assets for
investors…
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39. 39
…but all fairytales end. Going
forward, investors will need to
look further afield (and take
more risk) to earn superior
returns
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40. Risk / Return Relationship Will Reassert Itself As Cycle
Continues Driving Liquidity Into New Assets And Markets
Pension / LifeCo Fixed
Income Substitute
Safety Returns
Illiquid
Liquid
Public Vehicles
Family Offices / HNW
Endowment / Foundation
Pension / LifeCo Return
Driver
Private Equity Real
Estate
Owner / Operator
Developer
Sovereign Wealth Funds
Foreign Capital
Major Markets
Secondary Markets
Class A Product
Class B Product
CBD Office / Apartment
Suburban Office /
Apartment
Core Strategies
Core-Plus Strategies
Value-Add Strategies
Opportunistic Strategies
Tertiary Markets
Most deceleration in
returns
Greater
opportunities…even in a
down cycle
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42. Capital will migrate to “risk-adjacent”
assets, narrowing excessively wide
cap rate spreads between and
within various markets
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44. Investors Overlooking A Fundamental Imbalance
Recent Office transactions have targeted CBD, but…
44
68%
of office inventory is in the
suburbs…
74%
of office jobs are in the
suburbs...
84%
of *new* office jobs were
in the suburbs in 2016…
72%
of office absorption has
been in the suburbs since
2012…
Fundamental Imbalance
Cannot Persist Indefinitely
Opportunity in Suburban
Office
Source: BLS, Cushman & Wakefield Research
1.2%
Vacancy spread – down
from 4-5% earlier in cycle
(2.8% decline since
2015)…
60%
Suburban rents relative to
CBD versus 74% pre-
crisis…
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45. Look for Markets Where You Are Rewarded For Taking
Fundamental Risk
Source: Cushman & Wakefield Research, Real Capital Analytics
U.S. Metros With The Largest Spreads Between Suburban And CBD Office Cap Rates
Bubble size = Relative Suburban Transaction Volume 2014 - 2016
Raleigh/Durham
Boston Metro
Cincinnati
Chicago
DC Metro
SF Metro
St Louis
Baltimore
Seattle
NYC Metro
0.0%
0.5%
1.0%
1.5%
2.0%
2.5%
3.0%
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
Suburban-OfficeCapRateSpread
Historical Suburban - CBD Cap Rate Spread Z-Score
Spread Larger Than It Has Been Historically - Potential For Compression
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47. Pricing Hasn’t Caught Up To Long-Term Opportunity
47
Data Centers
Medical Office
Office Sunbelt Markets
Class A Suburban Retail
Suburban Apartments
Medium Distribution Warehouse
• Cloud adoption is expected to
double over the next 5 years
• Healthcare has been the
fastest growing sector in
U.S. for last two decades
• Pedestrian-friendly, convenient,
transient-oriented development is
in high demand in suburbs
across the U.S.
• Job growth is robust,
spreads at all-time high
• Rising single-family home
prices and rising mortgages
rates challenge single-family
housing affordability
• Medium distribution warehouse
(<250K SF) critical to service
level migration and supply
additions are constrained
Technology Demography
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52. U.S. Economic &
Commercial Real
Estate Outlook
April 2017
David Bitner
Cushman & Wakefield
Head of Americas Capital Markets Research
Notas del editor
Volume declines led by multifamily, CBD office
Industrial, hotel, suburban office and retail all down but less-so
Cap rates: only MF declined in 1Q
Price returns: suburban office, still returns strong (14.4%)
24
National warehouse vacancy rates dropped 70 bps YOY to 5.5%.
Construction activity is subdued, with industrial space under construction amounting to 2.4% of inventory. A handful of markets are expanding rapidly, however, with significant construction underway in Kansas City, Inland Empire, the PA I-81/I-78 Corridor and Indianapolis.
Sales volumes are down but dry powder remains just off all-time highs – 45% above previous cycle peak!
If you bought a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate in January 2010, you would have experienced a capital appreciation return of 11% per annum through 2016…unlevered, amounting to slightly over a 2x multiple. Adding leverage and including current yield, your total return would have been significantly higher.
If you focused on the major markets, your returns would have been even higher: 12.7% CAGR and a 2.3x multiple
These returns were driven by two forces: 1) growing rents in-line with the economic recovery and 2) declining cap rates
We can compare this to EPS growth and multiple expansion in equity markets, and in both markets, we have reached the point where the force of cap rate compression (or multiple expansion) has essentially been spent as a force driving market or “beta” returns
[Going forward, while we do not see cap rates increasing meaningfully, the balance of risks has shifted]
Expect every investor, wherever they are currently on the risk spectrum to move to risk-adjacent assets where expected returns should be higher
This means more capital for secondary markets and ultimately tertiary markets, for suburban office and MF properties, for value-add strategies more generally
This migration of capital will ultimately narrow cap rate spreads as well as improve liquidity in these various risk-adjacent assets / strategies
It is quite possible that in the event of a downturn, goldilocks assets cap rates could rise while higher yield assets (our risk-adjacent assets) cap rates could stay roughly unchanged due to the already advanced concentration of capital during this cycle.
In other words, if the cycle continues, spreads come in from capital migration and in a down cycle, risk-adjacent assets likely offer higher yields, superior opportunities for alpha-driven strategies and equal or LESS cap rate risk
This framework suggest that we look for markets that not only offer large cap rate spreads versus the national average…but one’s that are also large relative to that markets history.
This chart plots the current spread for 20 different US office markets versus how many standard deviations it is above it’s usual spread
The size of the bubbles reflect the transaction volume in 2016 and so act as an indicator of liquidity
The markets circled in red all offer relatively attractive yield spreads and should be a “buy” to the extent that those spreads are not justified by fundamentals.
Houston has been battered by the decline in oil prices, but there is an argument to be made that the market should make an inflection point along with oil prices and once again rising rig counts.
The tertiary southeast has strong population and by extension employment growth – similarly secondary markets such as Orlando
A wide swath of the Midwest is offering attractive yields from Chicago to St. Louis, Columbus, Cincinnati and the Tertiary Midwest – Pittsburgh is arguably part of this complex. Do economic and construction fundamentals suggest that such spreads should persist. Again, if not, there are assets that offer relatively “more ways to win” versus fully-valued assets.