NAIOP’s Industrial Space Demand Forecast, First Quarter 2017 Report, predicts industrial quarterly net absorption to average approximately 64 million square feet, a level similar to that in 2016. The model indicates that areas involving consumer products and e-commerce distribution are likely to remain the largest generators of demand for industrial space in 2017. Contributing to the growth is marijuana legalization where operators in this sector are occupying run-down industrial buildings in tertiary markets that act to offer value-add opportunities for investors due to in part to companies working in the cannabis trade typically paying above market rate for space given the challenges facing the business. Legal pot sales hit $6.7B in 2016 and are expected to rise above $20B by 2021, according to Acrview Market Research, creating an entirely new sector in the industrial real estate market. However, some experts believe that investors supporting these projects could lose over the long term due to unclear state and federal regulations.
Sources:
BISNOW, Marijuana Legalization To Drive High Demand In Industrial Real Estate