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How Omni Realty Uses Research, Skill and Experience to Benefit Our Commercial Real Estate Clients

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Mike Kushner in About Us, Blog, CCIM No Comments

When in search of a service or product, you’re likely to start with a Google search. These results will lead you to visiting some potential businesses’ websites and possibly their social media pages. You may feel like you’ve gathered enough information based on the quality of their online presence, reviews and word of mouth recommendations to choose the right business to fit your needs.

But how often do you consider a business’s mission statement in this decision making process? If you don’t, you should!

A business’s mission statement (or lack thereof) will tell you a lot about their focus, approach and how they treat their customers. A nice website, active social media and high ranking reviews only paint part of the picture of the quality of the company – and what they stand for.

For the benefit of our clients, whether they be past, present or future, we hope to give you deeper insight into our own mission so you can understand what we value and our commitment to serving you!

At Omni Realty, our mission is to secure the most effective space at the most favorable terms for our clients. We use research, skill and experience to offer unmatched, highly personalized service while carefully determining our clients’ needs and analyzing all possible solutions.

But our mission statement is more than just words on paper. The values it represents are closely woven into our daily client interactions as well as our long-term visioning. Here is how Omni Realty strives to live out our mission with everything we do.

Current and Consistent Research

We are strategic about maintaining access to the industry’s most comprehensive database of commercial real estate through our partnership with CoStar. Even though we specifically serve the Central Pennsylvania market, we have access to a combination of reliable tools, resources, and expert analysis on over 5 million commercial real estate properties in today’s market. This allows us to pull and compare market reports, keep a pulse on emerging trends and give our clients valuable advice even if it’s outside of our market.

Additionally, we have access to the most technologically advanced industry tools including:

Esri ArcGIS and Business Analyst – demographics and mapping
DataVu – business list data
Riskmeter Flood Maps – assess flood hazards and generate reports
RealNex MarketEdge – financial analysis

High-Level Skill

Mike Kushner is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (Penn) with his degree in economics. This education is combined with Mike’s CCIM Designation, making him a uniquely qualified commercial real estate broker, developer and investor. CCIM stands for Certified Commercial Investment Member and requires advanced coursework in financial and market analysis. The CCIM designation demonstrates extensive experience in the commercial real estate industry. Furthermore, CCIM designees are recognized as leading experts in commercial investment real estate.

As part of Omni Realty’s mission, developing this high-level of skill is essential to offering our clients unmatched expertise backed by confidence. Just a few of our uncommon, but highly valuable skill areas include:

Property Management
Raw Land Development
Historic Rehab Property Development
Chairman of Local Zoning Hearing Board
Expert Witness Testimony

Diverse Experience

Skill can only be grown when it is applied. Over the last 25 years of being a licensed real estate broker, Omni Realty has grown a diverse portfolio of experience. We have served over 500 clients, brokered 1,250 commercial real estate deals and have helped businesses of all sizes and industries find the most effective space at the most favorable terms. Our diverse experience also includes extensive property management, both residential and commercial.

We love sharing our experience and applying it toward delivering favorable outcomes for our clients. Experience gives us negotiation power on behalf of our clients, a leg-up on emerging market trends and a vast network of contacts that we call upon to help our clients overcome any number of challenges, both inside and outside the scope of commercial real estate.

Unique Value Proposition

We understand that other businesses may tout that they are “different” and it can be confusing to cut through the clutter and determine which commercial real estate business truly offers a unique model. First, when we say we work with businesses of all sizes, we truly mean it. From a one-person startup looking for co-working space, to a Fortune 1,000 organization looking to develop a growing campus, we are excited to work at both ends of the spectrum because we are excited to see our locally-based businesses thrive.

Second, our skill and expertise comes at no cost to our clients. As an exclusive tenant representative/buyers agent, Omni Realty is compensated by the landlord or seller, not by our client. This also means we come to the table to represent only you and your interests. There is no conflict of interest like there might be if a single agent represented both the tenant and landlord in a commercial real estate transaction. Finally, our service is highly personalized and highly hands-on. You work with only the principals in our firm; and we are responsive and proactive in our communications.

With a better understanding of our mission, and the various pieces involved in bringing our mission to life, we hope you can see why Omni Realty is in a unique position to serve our commercial real estate tenants and buyers. And remember, a business’s mission should not be taken lightly. When looking to work with a commercial real estate broker in Central Pennsylvania, be sure to assess their mission and compare it to your own. The most successful partnerships come from businesses and clients who work together over a shared mission!

Have a comment or question? Join in the conversation by leaving a comment below.

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How Commercial Real Estate Owners and Investors Can Capitalize on the Co-Working Movement

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Mike Kushner in Blog, Local Market, Office Leasing, Trends No Comments

To younger generations who are making up more and more of our work force every day, work is no longer a physical space, but rather an activity that, for better or worse, can be taken nearly everywhere we go. For this reason, the movement toward co-working spaces has emerged in virtually every city that has a business industry. Co-working is present here in Central Pennsylvania with spaces like the Park and St@rtUp in Harrisburg, the Candy Factory in Lancaster and the Techcelerator in Carlisle, to name just a few.

Even though co-working spaces are present in Central Pennsylvania, the majority of our workplaces are still modeled after the “old” economy assembly line, where workflow was linear and corporate structures were hierarchical. For commercial real estate owners and investors who want to capitalize on the growing demand for co-working spaces, here’s what you need to know.

Understand how the modern day “office” has changed

Foremost, we must take a step back to understand how the modern day “office” has vastly changed from what was desired decades ago. Simply put, stop thinking like a baby boomer! Nearly 10,000 baby boomers retire every year. It’s estimated that millennials will comprise the largest segment of our work force (75 percent to be precise) within the next decade.

If you’re a commercial real estate landlord or investor, you know the importance of understanding your clients’ wants and needs. So let’s examine what millennials want out of an office. First, the word “office” isn’t really appropriate anymore. What’s desired is a workspace that in one instance can provide quiet and solitude for “head-down” work, and the very next moment, provide an energizing and collaborative group work environment. Should it come as a surprise that millennials want it all without having to commit to one style of space? This brings us to the next important point, which is design.

Design spaces that quickly adapt to changing needs

Co-working spaces are high on function and that means being able to quickly adapt to a variety of work situations. In a single day, a business and its employees may need quiet, private work stations where people can work independently; open, collaborative space where people can work in groups; and traditional meeting space where people can meet with clients. Over time, growing businesses also desire the ability to easily accommodate more employees without having to uproot and find a bigger office every few months.

With traditional office space, businesses usually have to settle for dysfunctional work spaces that don’t quite fit the number of employees or their work styles. As a result, employees are less efficient, communication is disjointed and company culture suffers. For those who own or invest in commercial real estate, the focus needs to be on redesigning traditional office space to function more like a co-working space. This means large, open work areas where employees can interact and collaborate. Also, look for furniture that can be easily reconfigured as often as needed to provide more work spaces and private offices for independent work and meetings. These features will be huge selling points for businesses who want an office that will meet their immediate needs as well as grow with them.

Offer shared amenities to attract and retain tenants

The good news about co-working spaces is that people get used to sharing amenities. Multiple businesses working in the same building could all benefit from a shared conference room, snack bar, lounge or gym. While this would be far too much for any one of these businesses to individually afford in their own office, a building that provides all tenants with access to such amenities has quite a leg up over the competition.

Look at how Google and Apple have designed “campuses” for their employees. You can create the same effect out of your office building. Give businesses a place to interact with other businesses. Now you not only offer work space, you offer networking and business development opportunities for all!

Deliver a seamless experience – even if it comes at a premium

By adding luxury amenities to your office building, like mentioned above, you give businesses a seamless experience. Their employees will have incentive to do more at the office, even if that is relaxing, eating or exercising. Best of all, this higher level of employee engagement comes at a premium. Businesses will pay more for office spaces that keep employees happy, healthy and invested in their jobs. When you invest in adding luxury amenities to you work spaces, you will stand out among the competition and be able to charge more for your space.

Focus on building your own brand!

If you want to engage the growing millennial workforce, you need to pay attention to your brand. This demographic is used to polished and prominent branding. If you want to attract them to your office space, you need to present them with a brand worth buying into. Many co-working spaces brand themselves with a trendy name and logo. They have professional websites and a strong social media presence. How does your “brand” compare? Any effort put into properly branding your properties will bring exponential benefits as time goes on.

Which of these tips do you believe is most valuable to commercial real estate owners and investors capitalizing on the growing trend of co-working spaces?

Join in the conversation by leaving a comment below!

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10 Facts Any Commercial Real Estate Investor Should Know about Central PA’s Industrial Market

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Mike Kushner in Blog, Commercial Real Estate, Industrial, Local Market No Comments

10 Facts Any Commercial Real Estate Investor Should Know about Central PA’s Industrial Market

Central PA’s industrial real estate market is unique for a variety of different reasons. Taking into consideration its geographic, demographic and economic factors, we’ve compiled a list of what we feel are the most important facts worth knowing about our local industrial market.

If you are a commercial real estate investor, or simply someone who wants to know more about Central Pennsylvania’s commercial real estate market, you are sure to find this list of top 10 facts both valuable and interesting. Let’s take a look!

Harrisburg-York-Lebanon CSA is 3rd most populous in PA and 43rd most populous in U.S.

The Harrisburg-York-Lebanon Combined Statistical Area (CSA) is made up of six counties and includes four metropolitan areas in Central Pennsylvania. In 2010, the CSA’s population was 1,233,708 people, making it the 3^rd most populous CSA in PA and the 43rd most populous CSA in the U.S. The Harrisburg-York-Lebanon CSA includes the following Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs): Harrisburg-Carlisle, Lebanon, Gettysburg and York-Hanover.

Harrisburg area puts up strong competition against Lehigh Valley.

Though Lehigh Valley is commonly recognized as Pennsylvania’s leader in warehousing and distribution, Harrisburg delivered only 600,000 SF less than Allentown in 2017, while also generating roughly the same rent growth. Additionally, companies such as Whirlpool, Amazon, Ace Hardware, FedEx, Kohler, and Lindt Chocolates have set up large-scale warehouse and distribution centers in Harrisburg – and those tenants account for just a portion of more than 16 million SF of net absorption.

Harrisburg-Carlisle and Lancaster Ranked Among Leaders in National Job Growth

Of the 25 metro areas with the fastest job growth, as of August 2017, both Harrisburg-Carlisle and Lancaster placed on this competitive list. Lancaster ranked number 24 for its steady growth as it diversifies its economy and renovates its downtown and industrial areas. In six months Lancaster added 3,100 new jobs, bringing its total employment to 252,400 and 2017 growth rate to 1.23%. Harrisburg-Carlisle ranked number 8 on the list with 6,200 new jobs added in the first two quarters of 2017, bringing total employment to 346,100 and 2017 growth rate to 1.82%. Noted was the area’s diverse group of healthcare, technology and biotechnology businesses.

Prime location for warehousing and distribution.

Central Pennsylvania is a premiere market for industrial space for several compelling reasons. For businesses who need easy and affordability storing and shipping of products, the areas offers a great roadway system, an abundant work force, relatively inexpensive and available raw land, and the ability to reach 70 to 80 percent of the U.S. population in 24 hours. Additionally, our government regulations on warehousing and distribution are comparatively easy and straightforward compared to other nearby states or regions.

Four of the 10 Select Top Industrial Leases in Q4 2017 took place in the Harrisburg market.

According to CoStar’s Q4 report for 2017, Harrisburg east and west markets represented the majority of top industrial leases signed that year. Prologis Carlisle (1,029,600 SF), Goodman Logistics Center Carlisle (1,007,868 SF), Prologis Harrisburg (623,143 SF) and Carlisle Distribution Center (575,000 SF) were all leased to different businesses who were looking to grow their industrial real estate space in Central Pennsylvania. This activity indicates economic growth and interest in Central PA’s industrial real estate market, both from businesses and real estate investors.

Lancaster market has the highest quoted rental rate for industrial space in Central PA at $4.69 per SF.

Even though Lancaster’s quoted rental rate for industrial space decreased by $0.45 per SF than where it was at the end of Q4 2016, it still comes in higher than Central PA’s other surrounding submarkets. At $4.69 per SF, Lancaster is $1.41 per SF higher than Lebanon, $0.03 per SF higher than Harrisburg/Carlisle, $0.08 per SF higher than Gettysburg and $0.67 per SF higher than York/Hanover based on Q4 2017.

Lancaster also has the lowest vacancy rate for industrial space in Central PA at just 2.0%.

Lancaster ended Q4 2017 with the lowest vacancy rate of all surrounding submarkets. Compared to Lancaster’s vacancy rate of 2.0%, Lebanon came in at 15.8%, Harrisburg/Carlisle at 6.8% and York/Hanover at 4.9% based on Q4 2017. Though Gettysburg did end 2017 with a vacancy rate of 0.4%, it’s important to note this submarket has just 78 buildings with a combined 4,372,179 SF of existing inventory which places it at a much different level than the other submarkets, comparatively.

Within the MSA, Harrisburg/Carlisle has the largest SF of industrial space under construction at 1,813,468 SF.

Two significantly large industrial projects will soon result in the addition of 1,813,468 SF to the Harrisburg/Carlisle submarket. Comparatively, Lebanon has three buildings under construction with a combined 1,310,195 SF of space, Lancaster has two buildings under construction with a combined 76,486 SF of space, York/Hanover has two buildings under construction with a combined 895,000 SF of space and Gettysburg has no new industrial space under construction. For Central PA as a whole, that equals 4,095,149 SF of new industrial space that will soon be delivered to the market.

Harrisburg/Carlisle’s ended 2017 with a positive net absorption of 2,700,108 SF.

According to CoStar’s Q4 2017 industrial market report, Harrisburg/Carlisle ended the year with the highest, positive net absorption we’ve seen since prior to 2014. At 2,700,180 SF, this is significantly higher than any other quarter that year, especially Q2 where the net absorption dropped to negative 499,576 SF. Additionally is Q4 2017, one new building was delivered to the market, adding 1,100,000 SF of space. Even with this influx of inventory, the net absorption rose by 2,083,756 SF. The new building that was delivered is Whirlpool’s new distribution facility located at 100 Fry Drive, Mechanicsburg.

Influx of State and Federal dollars will continue to improve transportation in and around Central PA.

The Trump administration has recently been touting a $1.5 trillion, 10-year public-private plan to improve roads, bridges, ports and other infrastructures across the nation. Central Pennsylvania has plans to utilize some of this federal funding to bolster its priority projects which include fixing structurally deficient bridges and widening interstates. Improvement to our roadways and infrastructure will improve public safety, create construction jobs and make Central PA an even more attractive location for warehousing and distribution.

After reading through these top 10 facts any commercial real estate investor should know about Central PA’s industrial market, you are likely to have some comments or questions of your own.

Start a discussion by leaving a comment below!

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Search Available Commercial Real Estate in Central Pennsylvania

Posted on April 5, 2018 by Mike Kushner in Blog, Commercial Real Estate No Comments

The American culture is heavily reliant upon the internet to provide us with information. If we have a question, we are quick to turn to our cell phones or computers to deliver the answer.

The search for real estate is no exception. According to a report by the National Association of Realtors, as many as 51% of buyers found the home they ultimately purchased through an internet search. This statistic demonstrates the power of having an online presence when marketing your real estate properties.

Looking specifically at commercial real estate, tenants or buyers wanting to rent or buy retail, office or industrial space often take to the internet to begin their search. And why not? You can do this from the comfort of your home or office and view details of hundreds, if not thousands of different properties with the click of a button.

We recognized this very real need for people to quickly and easily search Central Pennsylvania for commercial real estate. As a result, we are excited to announce the launch of Omni Realty Group’s property search feature. While there are many available websites and platforms that allow for commercial property search, we’d like to explain a little more about what makes ours unique and advantageous to you, the tenant or buyer.

How Do I Search for Commercial Real Estate in Central Pennsylvania?

This is a question we hear often. “How do I search for commercial real estate in Central Pennsylvania?” Many businesses looking for commercial office, retail or industrial space will begin with a Google search. While this will yield many results, it can be difficult to sort the results by your property “wish list.” The top search results have the strongest SEO, but may not have the features you desire.

When using the Omni Realty Group commercial property search to look for commercial real estate, you are able to use a variety of filters to fully customize your search results to yield properties that most closely match what you’re looking for. Filters such as: Lease or Purchase; Use (e.g. Retail, Office, Industrial) and Size (SF) will help you save time scrolling through results that aren’t relevant to what you need. In addition, the “draw” feature allows you to create geographical boundaries so that search results are located only within the areas you wish to consider.

Most importantly, the Omni Search feature allows you to view all the properties that are available in the market not just those your agent wants you to see. Omni is committed to securing the most effective space at the most favorable terms for our clients.

Benefits of Omni Realty Group’s Commercial Property Search

Benefit of Saving Time: You can save an immense amount of time by not actually visiting the place and instead going online. You clearly deduct the time of travelling and you don’t need to deal with the traffic and weather problems. You can do it anytime you want to regardless of other factors.

Benefit of Comparison: When you check online you can compare prices of different landlords or sellers for the same area. All these gives you clear idea of pricing and gives you the power of bargain as an online platform is more competitive as well as transparent. In addition, you can get multiple properties at different locations in the same screen. You can see the actual difference between two sites and have data which is better and why.

Benefit of Convenience: There are many mediums when it comes to the actual ground visit of a property. When you search online you are master of your own will. You can do the initial research at your convenience. You can use your leisure time while commuting or even late night.

Benefit of Representation: Once you find properties you wish to tour, you have the dedicated and exclusive representation of Omni Realty Group to guide and advise you through every step of the process. Literally any property you find on our search, we can show you and represent you as your tenant representative or buyer’s agent. It’s easy to fall victim to a dual agency saying only they can show you a property, but that’s simply not true. When you begin your search with Omni Realty Group, you eliminate the chance that you will be without proper representation to negotiate favorable terms and pricing in your lease agreement.

How a Tenant Rep/Buyer Agent Adds Value

As an exclusive tenant representative and buyer agent, Omni Realty Group adds value and peace of mind to your commercial real estate property search. First, this means you receive exclusive representation without conflict of interest between the two parties. Second, you have an experienced commercial real estate professional on your side to advise you of current market pricing and negotiate on your behalf for fair and reasonable terms.

What most people don’t know about working with a tenant rep or buyer’s agent is that it almost never comes as a direct cost to you. Our fee is commonly paid for by the landlord or seller. At Omni Realty Group, we pride ourselves on building strong working relationships with other real estate businesses in the area. The result is a mutual respect that allows us to work effectively on behalf of our clients to expedite the leasing process and get them into their new space on the best possible terms!

Now that you have a better understanding of how the Omni Realty Group commercial property search feature works, you have all the tools you need to find your new office, retail or industrial space to take your business to the next level. Check it out now to see how fast and easy it is to find the best available commercial properties in Central Pennsylvania!

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Impact of the New Tax Law on Commercial Real Estate

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Mike Kushner in Blog, Commercial Real Estate No Comments

The federal tax overhaul, which was enacted into law on December 22, 2017, was the most drastic tax law changes that the United States has seen in 30 years. While it will take some time to fully understand how much tax savings the changes could generate for commercial real estate investors, there are several significant impacts that are quite apparent.

New tax climate favors commercial real estate investors

Legal and tax experts agree that the new tax law bestows several benefits that make it more appealing for commercial real estate investors to buy properties. Many of the changes will put more money back into the pocket of investors in terms of tax savings. Some of the changes, particularly the tax treatment of capital expenditures, will shield a tremendous amount of income for property owners that are making capital investments and improvements to their properties. And let’s not overlook the ripple effect the new tax bill may create, such as fueling economic and job growth that will drive demand for commercial real estate. All things considered, real estate has become just about the most accessible way for high net-worth investors to profit from the tax law.

A shift in capital should increase demand for commercial properties

The tax new law creates an incentive for investors to shift capital from equities to pass-through businesses. Essentially, the law enables a taxpayer to factor 2.5 percent of the original purchase price of a property into the calculation of the 20 percent deduction for pass-through income. This allows a real estate investor the ability to reduce real estate investments to an effective 29.6 percent tax rate, which is 10 points lower than it was in 2017. Without the predicted shift in capital based on the tax new law, commercial real estate prices likely would have stalled in 2018, due to increasing interest rates and decreasing cap rates. It’s important to note that the deduction is set to expire in December 2025.

Expansion of Section 179 allows commercial property owners to direct expense improvements

Another positive for commercial real estate investors is the expansion of the Section 179 deduction for depreciation. Under the Section 179 revision, the new tax law lets commercial property owners count the cost of improvements (i.e. roofs, HVAC systems and security systems) as direct expenses in the year these items were installed. Under the previous tax law, improvements had to be capitalized with a small piece being expensed each year until the full cost was exhausted. Additionally, the Section 179 change is retroactive to the 2017 tax year, which is unlike other parts of the new law.

Tax-free 1031 swaps for real estate were retained

Another piece of the tax law that should have commercial real estate investors excited is the retention of tax-free 1031 swaps for real estate. The real victory here is that lawmakers did not yank 1031-exchanges for real estate, as they did for aircraft and other types of personal property. In fact, under the new law 1031 trades are now restricted exclusively to real estate.

Insights from a tax adviser

The new tax law creates some gray areas and leaves many questions unanswered, particularly as it relates to commercial real estate. As a commercial real estate investor, the best thing you can do is consult a tax adviser before making any drastic changes to your real estate investment strategies. At Omni Realty Group, we had a few questions of our own so we asked Jim Holland, accountant and owner of Jim Holland CPA to weigh in with his insight. Here is what he shared.

“There is no doubt the biggest winner in the real estate arena was for commercial real estate investors; however, it is wise to proceed with caution. I would recommend to any commercial real estate investor that they tread lightly until more is known about calculating the 20% reduction of business income, including from flow through entities. The calculation can be complicated and burdensome.”

That’s not to say there are some immediate actions CRE investors might consider taking in 2018 to put themselves in the best possible position to maximize the benefits of the new tax law. Clifton Guise, Tax Attorney and Partner at Halbruner, Hatch & Guise, LLP shares the following.

“Because most real estate investors own and operate their real estate activities through pass-through entities (LLCs, LPs, and S-Corps) or sole proprietorships, it is important to determine if the investor qualifies for the Qualified Business Income (“QBI”) Deduction. The QBI Deduction is an individual level deduction that can reduce the tax rate on income from pass-through entities. An investor may need to restructure their entity or in some cases restructure their leases in order to qualify for the QBI Deduction.”

Taking the time to fully understand the new tax law, and identifying how you may need to restructure your leases or business model to maximize your benefits under this law is a worthy investment of your time. If you are a commercial real estate investor, make it a goal to seek advice on the new tax law and how it stands to impact your business going forward.

Share your opinion! What do you think is the most important impact the new tax law will have on commercial real estate?

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The Success of Urgent Care Clinics Mostly Depends on Real Estate

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Mike Kushner in Blog, Healthcare, Local Market No Comments

When it comes to healthcare, there is no shortage of demand for convenient and cost-effective providers. As a result, the American Healthcare System has shifted its focus toward creating outpatient urgent care clinics as a low-cost alternative to hospital emergency rooms.

The Urgent Care Centers industry now represents one of the fastest growing segments of the American Healthcare System. There are 340 walk-in clinics and 209 urgent care centers located in Pennsylvania alone. Depending upon where you live, it may feel like there is an urgent care clinic on just about every street corner, but the strategy behind choosing the right real estate space for an outpatient clinic is well researched and carefully considered.

Real Estate Strategy for Urgent Care Locations

Urgent care clinics are commonly located in retail settings that offer high visibility and foot traffic. Shopping centers and free-standing buildings that are located near big box stores, restaurants and food/drug retailers are among the most attractive spots. It’s vital to the success of the clinic that its location be easy to find, have free and convenient parking, and appear clean and attractive.

Aside from the physical aspects of the real estate space, urgent care clinics must also consider the demographics of the market they will serve. A highly viable market will demonstrate substantial health needs that are not currently being met by hospitals’ emergency rooms, due to limited access and long wait times. Next, the market should also have a favorable payer mix of patients who are either covered by insurance or have the ability to pay out-of-pocket.

In addition to these industry-specific considerations, traditional real estate data should also be taken into consideration. The number of residential homes, income levels and location of competitors will also have an impact on determining the best location for an urgent care clinic. As a business that relies hugely on walk-in traffic, the look and location of a clinic is as important as the care it provides.

PinnacleHealth Enters Urgent Care Industry

In Central Pennsylvania we have seen the success of a growing urgent care group that was founded in Silver Spring Township in 2010. AllBetterCare Urgent Care Center opened its first location on the Carlisle Pike and now has two more locations in South Middleton Township (Cumberland County) and Susquehanna Township (Dauphin County). The company says it has seen almost 100,000 new patients since its founding, which makes sense as to why PinnacleHealth announced its affiliation with AllBetterCare that will be completed this fall. The two healthcare businesses share the same desire to reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and decrease emergency room wait times for patients.

Pinnacle’s move into a new sector of the healthcare system aligns with its overall growth strategy to diversify its healthcare services and enter new markets across Pennsylvania. The company recently acquired four mid-state hospitals including Carlisle Regional Medical Center (Cumberland County), not far from two AllBetterCare locations. Pinnacle has also committed to construction of a new campus in York County which will replace the existing Memorial Hospital and continues to work on an affiliation with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Diversifying Pinnacle’s healthcare services and facilities also means diversifying its real estate portfolio. Affiliating itself with AllBetterCare will serve to help Pinnacle reduce the burden on its hospitals, alleviating the need to expand emergency rooms or construct new facilities that would come at a much larger cost, and risk, than simply making outpatient urgent care clinics more readily available. The partnership between AllBetterCare and Pinnacle is a step in the right direction, not just for the businesses’ bottom-line, but for access to quality healthcare for hundreds of thousands of patients across Pennsylvania.

Have you used an outpatient urgent care clinic? What about the facility and its location made you choose it over another option? Share your insight and experience by leaving a comment!

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Central PA’s Office Real Estate Market Hangs on to Low Vacancy, Slows Down on Net Absorption

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Mike Kushner in Blog, Commercial Real Estate, Local Market, Trends No Comments

Central PA’s Office Real Estate Market Hangs on to Low Vacancy, Slows Down on Net Absorption

New office space continues to enter the Central Pennsylvania commercial real estate market. One new building was delivered in the first quarter of 2017, and four more are soon to come. Some of the biggest trends worth noting are the recent record-setting low vacancy rate and high rental rate. This proves the demand for office space, despite the decrease in net absorption.

To fully understand the underlying trends and how they stand to impact the commercial real estate marketing and beyond, let’s dig into the numbers. Here’s a look at what took place in 2017’s first quarter in the Central Pennsylvania office real estate market.

Select Year-to-Date Deliveries:

Only six projects from the Greater Philadelphia market made it to CoStar’s Select-Year-to-Date Deliveries list for this quarter. Central Pennsylvania had the second largest office building delivered to the market in Q1, which is located at 4732 Old Gettysburg Road, Building 5, Mechanicsburg. This building delivered three floors and 60,000 square feet of Class A office space. It is not yet occupied.

Top Under-Construction Properties:

In total, four office buildings are under construction in Central Pennsylvania, with a total of 166,000 square feet of new space, of that 92% is preleased. The largest of these projects is located on Buckwalter Road in Lititz, Pennsylvania. It is set to deliver next quarter with 93,000 square feet of Class B office space that is 100% preleased to Listrak.

Absorption and Demand:

Compared to 2016, net absorption has significantly slowed down. Though still in the positive, this quarter’s net absorption of 40,028 square feet is a long way off from the more than 300,000 square-foot net absorption we saw in the second and third quarter of 2016. Though only one building was delivered this quarter, there are four more under construction. It will be worth watching how this additional square footage impacts the market’s ability to absorb the new space over the coming quarters.

Vacancy & Rental Rate:

Vacant square footage continues to creep up to just about where it was one year ago at this time. It has increased then decreased with each passing quarter, and this quarter continues to follow that trend. Even with a nearly 20,000 square-foot increase in vacancy, the vacancy rate stays strong at 6%. This is where it has been since the second quarter of 2016 and is the lowest percentage we have seen since prior to 2013. As for the quoted rental rate, this continues to rise. At $17.49 per square foot, this is the highest the price has been in at least four years.

Our Summary:

Though net absorption has slowed down over the past few quarters, it remains in the positive. The huge increase in absorption that we saw in first quarter 2015, rising from -90,797 square feet to 430,923 square feet, was the result of a burst of new construction, but at that time, the vacancy rate was also higher at 7.4%.

On the up side, the low vacancy rate and high quoted rental rate proves the healthy demand for office space in Central Pennsylvania. In the coming quarters, it will be important to watch how the new buildings entering the market impact this balance. Although four new office building may seem like a large addition of space, 92% is preleased. The question then remains as to whether the businesses filling this space are new and/or expanding, or if they are existing businesses that are moving from another space, then leaving vacancies.

Based upon the data for Central PA’s office real estate market in Q1 2017, what trend do you find to be most interesting or important? Share your insight by commenting below!

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First Thing to Do When Looking for New Office Space

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Mike Kushner in Blog, Tenant Representative/Buyer Agent No Comments

First Thing to Do When Looking for New Office Space

If you’re just starting the journey of exploring new office space options for your business, you may be tempted to independently start browsing online or stop in a few locations that are advertising space for lease. What’s the harm in getting a head start?

A phone call to inquire about the details of a vacancy may lead to an appointment to view the space. While these may seem like innocent, even advantageous, actions, you’ve already made a critical error that could cost you your ability to represent your best interests as the tenant.

In most instances, once you have seen a property with the listing agent, prior to engaging your tenant rep or buyer’s agent, who serves to represent your interests, you lose the ability to do so for that deal. Now you’re left alone to navigate the often challenging and one-sided process of outlining the terms of the lease.

For this reason, it is critical to carefully think about your first move when looking for new office space. The first real estate professional you should speak to is your tenant representative or buyer’s agent. In addition to securing them to represent you for any and all real estate deals, you also gain their valuable expertise to make the process as painless as possible.

Here are just a few key benefits of working with a real estate professional who exclusively represents tenants and buyers and why it should be the first call you make when leasing commercial space.

Someone Looking Out for Your Best Interests

Be sure to qualify your tenant representative. You want someone who only serves the interests of their clients – who are all tenants/buyers. This ensures that the properties they show you are properties they believe will be a good fit for your needs, not because they are also the leasing agent for that property. Additionally, your tenant rep is there to aggressively represent you in negotiations. They have the tools and knowledge to understand fair market value, and will ensure you receive this or better.

Master of Their Trade

When working with a tenant representative, you receive the benefit of specialization. Representing tenants and buyers is what they do all day, every day. They are always thinking like the tenant, and so they are skilled and efficient at brokering deals in your favor. Rather than working with a broker who “dabbles” in both sides of the deal, you gain the peace of mind of working with someone who exclusive represents tenants and buyers.

No Cost to You

Most notably, tenant representatives are not paid for by the tenant; instead, the broker is paid commission by the landlord/owner (99.9% of the time). The commission fee is negotiated before the property is marketed, and that fee is usually paid regardless of whether or not you have a tenant representative/buyer agent (i.e. bigger commission for the leasing agent). Keep this in mind when you ask yourself whether you need a tenant representative. It comes as no cost to you personally and the commission is money that is paid out regardless. There is no downside to having a tenant representative on your side!

No matter where you are in your search for new office space, it’s always worth a phone call to a trusted tenant representative. Even if they cannot represent you for that particular deal, they are often still willing to offer advice to ensure you are getting a sound deal.

Have you recently navigated a search for new office space? Did you first engage a tenant representative? Either way, share your experience by commenting below!

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The 12 Days of Christmas in Central PA’s Commercial Real Estate

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Mike Kushner in Blog, Commercial Real Estate, Local Market No Comments

The 12 Days of Christmas in Central PA’s Commercial Real Estate

We’re all familiar with the classic holiday song, “The 12 Days of Christmas.” But did you know that each of the 12 presents also relates to something currently taking place in Central Pennsylvania’s commercial real estate market?

With a little creativity, we’ve found these fun facts that you likely didn’t know about our local real estate market. We’re willing to bet that the next time you hear this song, you’ll associate turtle doves and gold rings with something more than Christmas gifts. Take a look!

Partridge in a Pear Tree: Pennsylvania farmers of specialty crops will benefit from nearly $925,000 in federal grants dedicated to research, education and marketing to help strengthen the industry. This grant may not call out pear trees per se, but it does include the National Peach Council and the Pennsylvania Apple Marketing and Research Program.

2 Turtle Doves: After eight years without a direct flight to the state’s capital, “turtle doves” flying from Pittsburgh are finally able to get a nonstop ticket to Harrisburg, fixing a big missing link between the two cities. Beginning in October, Southern Airways Express began offering three daily flights to Harrisburg on weekdays and one each weekend day in an effort to position themselves as “Pennsylvania’s airline.”

3 French Hens: Suez, a French-based multinational corporation, is the second largest supplier of water to U.S towns and cities. Suez provides services to many Central PA communities. In November, Suez opened a new advanced water treatment plant that deploys innovative and highly-effective water treatment processes in Bloomsburg, PA.

4 Calling Birds: Comcast has laid 50 miles of fiber-optic transmission lines throughout Center City Philadelphia and University City. This $30 million project will provide companies on commercial corridors, such as Market Street, with superfast data speeds. It extends the Comcast backbone network to 3,000 Philadelphia businesses and big institutions, among them the University of Pennsylvania and the Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals complex.

5 Gold Rings: The Olympics are contributing to our economic growth right here in Central Pennsylvania. Spooky Nook, home of the Olympic Women’s Field Hockey Team, is having a strong economic impact on the local community that extends beyond Lancaster County. More than 450 new jobs have been created with the opening of the facility in 2015. Through partnerships with over 65 regional hotel properties, the business has contributed more than 60,000 room nights within a 50 mile radius of the location in 2014.

6 Geese a-Laying: We’ve taken a little creative liberty here by replacing geese for a crane, but it’s a pretty interesting fact nonetheless! Philadelphia has an interactive “Crane Watch” website where you can see all of the city’s commercial real estate projects in progress.

7 Swans a-Swimming: A proposed Aquatic Center in Derry Township could be another catalyst for local economic growth. The facility could host large swimming competitions and would also include therapy pools for health and wellness partners as well as a recreational pool.

8 Maids a-Milking: Pennsylvania is still the 5th largest U.S. milk producing state, but may not continue to hold this position for long. An overall decline in fluid milk sales has caused more milk to be used to produce other dairy items such as yogurt. Additionally, Pennsylvania’s rolling herd average is the lowest of its closest competing states.

9 Ladies Dancing: When it comes to Central Pennsylvania’s nightlife, it appears that the ladies prefer to “dance” on the West Shore. Several restaurants that have locations in downtown Harrisburg have opened second locations on the West Shore, including Cork and Fork, Duke’s, Gilligan’s and Federal Taphouse. While many people hope that this will encourage more people to venture into downtown Harrisburg for even more dining options, it remains evident that crossing shores is just too far to travel for some.

10 Lords a-Leaping: Central Pennsylvania landlords are having a banner year as vacancies are down and rental rates are up. With more single families looking to rent a home over purchasing one, rents have been rising all across the board – which is all the more reason these landlords are a-leaping!

11 Pipers Piping: Natural gas pipeline companies and residents continue to clash on the issue of pipeline safety and gaps in regulation and oversight. The natural gas industry has the potentially to significantly impact the local economy. The Panda Patriot plant alone will contribute an estimated $5.85 billion to the area’s economy, with thousands of jobs created during its construction.

12 Drummers Drumming: 2017 should bring higher wages for a broad range of workers. In 2016, CA, NY, and D.C., passed new laws that would raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour. PA remained consistent with the federal minimum wage at $7.25 per hour; however, there were 15 minimum wage bills in the 2016 legislative session that indicate legislators are “drumming up” momentum to make a change to our state’s minimum wage.

Which of the 12 Days of Christmas in commercial real estate did you find most interesting? Or do you have another suggestion to offer? Share your ideas by commenting below!

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Giving Thanks: 10 Good Things that Happened in Central PA’s Real Estate Market in 2016

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Mike Kushner in Blog, Local Market, Trends No Comments

With Thanksgiving just days away, we thought it fitting to apply our gratitude toward recognizing some positive events that have taken place in Central Pennsylvania’s real estate market in 2016. These trends and milestones indicate a growing economy, healthy businesses and more jobs on the horizon. Take a look at the top 10 good things that have taken place in the local market so far this year!

1. The Central Pennsylvania office market achieved the lowest vac a ncy rate in over eight years, proving that the demand for office space is on the rise as existing businesses grow and new businesses move into the area.

2. U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has authorized full funding f or construction and design of the federal courthous e project in Midtown Harrisburg. This will put potentially $168.4 million back into the economy with work related to this project. Plus, the new courthouse complex will be a nice upgrade for the city.

3. Members of the local community stepped forward and made an effort to fight back against unfair or outdated property assessments that were resulting in high property taxes. This an important step toward achieving fair and updated laws.

4. Single family rental properties remained a strong investment in Central Pennsylvania. U.S. homeownership rates are on the decline, meaning single families are also renting their homes and need more options than just one and two bedroom apartments.

5. Central Pennsylvania’s warehouse industry is growing by as much as 3.2 million square-feet. Four proposed warehouses will bring more jobs to the area, adding to the 71,282 warehouse jobs that have already increased by 25% in just five years.

6. Median household incomes are on the rise throughout Central Pennsylvania with the majority of counties posting gains all across the board. This increase in income will help to offset inflation and cost-of-living increases, potentially helping families to gain a bit more disposable income as well.

7. A growing demand for retail real estate indicates stores are growing and new businesses are entering the market. Additionally, the healthy retail industry continues to lease space despite the highest quoted rental rate since prior to Q3 2012.

8. Harrisburg office buildings received a major upgrade that will save tenants about $1.5 million per year in energy costs. The energy efficient upgrades earned a $1.2 million rebate from the utility company that will be reinvested into future projects in the city.

9. Hundreds of thousands of square-feet of new office space was delivered to the Central Pennsylvania market this year, attracting new business and more jobs.

10. Brokers that exclusively represent tenants continued to make the search for commercial real estate a fair and positive experience. By working with a tenant representative, businesses were more likely to find the ideal space and negotiate more favorable lease terms.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, what other things took place in the real estate market or economy that have you feeling grateful? Share your thoughts by commenting below!

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