Those in industrial CRE are keeping up with foreign exchange issues and the current strength of the dollar, which can be as important as monitoring interest rates. Understanding manufacturing and the global flow of goods means having a grasp of how the relative dominance of a given currency can affect who can afford to make products based on their location.
Prologis acknowledges that while operating conditions are healthy in the majority of their markets, customers are remaining focused on controlling costs, which is weighing on decision making and the pace of leasing. High interest rates and mounting geopolitical concerns are also factors that are contributing to this hesitancy but the effect of this indecision on net absorption is expected to be short-term.
Updates and projections for commercial real estate’s hottest sector were discussed at the recently held NAIOP I.CON East industrial real estate conference, with more than 1,200 leaders attending from around North America.
It is expected the US will see a ‘meaningful’ downturn within the next 12 to 18 months. Consequently, a decline in the rate of warehouse construction is forecasted in the coming months. A significant decrease is expected in 2H 2023 and 1H 2024.
The continued demand for industrial space is keeping market fundamentals healthy across the U.S. The national average rent for in-place leases stood at $7.12 per square foot in February, growing 6.9% over year-ago figures.