Industrial availability rates are generally below historic norms nationwide, but fundamentals are expected to remain soft through mid-2024.

Plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) sales have grown spectacularly over the past decade. Industry has responded by planning to expand North American battery plant capacity by 370% by 2025.

Some logistics occupiers, especially general merchandisers, e-commerce companies and home-improvement retailers, are cutting their space commitments. This is resulting in an uptick in sublease space, particularly for warehouses larger than 300,000 sq. ft.

Our analysis uncovers a more evolving understanding of how domestic production or onshoring influences the industrial real estate market. It challenges sector stakeholders to abandon broad-stroke assumptions and further examine the impacts of shifting trade dynamics on warehouse demand.

The industrial sector saw a 70-basis-point increase in availability in the first quarter. Nevertheless, availability should remain below historic norms for the foreseeable future, a fact that distinguishes industrial from most other property types.

Is every real estate deal unique? Or does each deal provide a point in a broader spatial pattern? To answer these questions, CBRE Econometric Advisors (CBRE EA) mapped all the industrial property sales in Southern California over the past two years and then applied geospatial analytics to identify trading patterns.

Extraordinary industrial tenant demand amid historically tight availability has forced price-conscious tenants to older, less functional assets, but now the picture is changing. Tenants whose leases are rolling over will have abundant, amenity-laden space options, further disadvantaging older, less functional properties.