MBA Releases 1Q Commercial/Multifamily DataBook
The Mortgage Bankers Association released its first quarter 2016 Commercial/Multifamily DataBook today.
The report summarizes major trends that developed during the quarter. Charts and tables provide historical information on commercial and multifamily real estate markets.
MBA’s Commercial/Multifamily DataBook reported that:
• Domestic property markets largely held steady. During the first quarter office vacancy rates fell from 16.2 percent to 16.1 percent, retail vacancy rates held at 10.0 percent and apartment vacancy rates climbed from 4.4 percent to 4.5 percent. Tight or tightening markets boosted rents by 2.1 percent for retail, 3.0 percent for office and 4.6 percent for apartments on a year-over-year basis.
• The improving bottom line continues to draw new development activity, with the value of selected CRE-related construction put-in-place in April up 7 percent from a year before. Multifamily permitting and starts remain strong, such that there are more multifamily units under construction than at any time since the mid-1970s.
• Commercial property sales were solid in the first quarter, but below the high level seen one year prior. Sales of office, industrial and retail properties were below Q1 2015 levels, while multifamily sales were up 12 percent.
• In the aggregate, commercial real estate borrowing and lending started 2016 in a similarly strong fashion to 2015. Borrowing backed by retail, office, hotel and multifamily properties picked up, as did lending by banks. Disruptions in the broader capital markets pushed originations for commercial mortgage-backed securities down.
To get a copy or learn more about this report, visit https://www.mba.org/news-research-and-resources/forecasts-data-and-reports/commercial/multifamily-research/commercial/multifamily-quarterly-databook.
