How One Denver Deal May Illustrate a Growing Trend In the ever-evolving tug-of-war between office tenants and property owners, conventional wisdom would suggest that tenants currently have the most leverage. As property owners contend with hybrid work arrangements that depress office … [Read more...]

Expanding Restaurants Face Tall Orders Big plans hit supply, delay and cost snags. Restaurant trends are in flux in 2023. Ghost kitchens—hot in 2021—are facing slowing delivery demand, higher capital costs, and quality control issues, restaurant tech exec Rishi Nigam told digital publication … [Read more...]

Food halls—eating destinations that include several small, locally developed restaurants and typically a bar—emerged from the pandemic in relatively good shape. Of the 82 food halls opened since March 2020, only 15 were shuttered, a closure rate of 18%, according to Cushman & Wakefield data compiled … [Read more...]

April 19, 2023 Impact of Legalized Marijuana By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey As marijuana becomes more mainstream, pot businesses are clamoring for storefronts, warehouse space and land, according to a new NAR report. As more states legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use, cannabis … [Read more...]

Fed Warns That Empty Office Buildings Pose a Lasting Threat to CRE The Fed maintains that persisting issues in commercial real estate, primarily the increasing amount of office buildings sitting empty, pose a threat to the stability of the financial system as a whole. The Fed doesn’t give much … [Read more...]

FROM THE DEPUTY PUBLISHER Good Citizen Challenge finishers and partners (Jeb Wallace-Brodeur) While most of the state — and the nation — was focused on who would win the midterm election in the week … [Read more...]

Why Office Buildings Are Still in Trouble Hybrid work, layoffs and higher interest rates are leaving lots of office space vacant and hurting the commercial real estate business. The commercial real estate market remains weak because many businesses are opting for smaller offices and … [Read more...]

After the strong rebound for the U.S. economy in 2021, growth in 2022 has slowed in the face of rising inflation, the household incomes squeeze, and geopolitical events. While the economy continues to deal with elevated inflation, there is a slowdown in the growth of commercial real … [Read more...]

Finney Crossing Commercial in Williston fully leased Vermont Business Magazine Tony Blake of V/T Commercial in Burlington announced today that Finney Crossing in Williston, is 100% leased. Developers of the project, Scott Rieley and Chris Snyder, worked … [Read more...]

In a hybrid workforce world, what happens to all that office space? Just 11% of businesses use all of the office space they own or lease, and nearly 45% use half their available space or less, according to a new study. As companies come to grips with a more hybrid and remote workforce, their … [Read more...]

How Developers Can Overcome NIMBYism Marilee Utter of the Counselors of Real Estate shares her “long short-cut” for developers to overcome the community opposition that can stall projects. By Kelsi Maree Borland | June 27, 2022 at 03:45 AM Over last two years, cities across the country have … [Read more...]

Gene Marks Not everyone is going to be working from home in the months to come. They’re coming back to the office. More than half of corporate leaders want their people back in the office five days a week, according to a new study. Many people loved working from home during the … [Read more...]

Considering the growing demand for industrial real estate, golf courses are popular targets for conversion to warehouse and distribution centers.  By Chris Gary | Winter 2022 With the appetite for industrial warehouse and distribution space continuing to grow, more developers have begun to eye … [Read more...]

How and where people work underwent huge changes — could flexible office space see an increase in demand? By Beth Mattson-Teig | Winter 2022 Prior to the pandemic, coworking facilities were often lauded as a model for the “future workplace.” Third-party providers offered trendy, flexible, … [Read more...]

Intense competition and strong fundamentals are driving industrial sale prices ever higher. By Beth Mattson-Teig | Fall 2021 The industrial sector powered through the worst of the pandemic without missing a step — and the outperformance of the sector has only served to stoke investor demand with … [Read more...]

The commercial real estate market will surprisingly close with a bang in 2021 given the historic strong demand for multifamily and industrial space and the resiliency of brick and mortars in serving consumer demand off-premises. The strong growth in these sectors made up for the weak and tenuous … [Read more...]

Amid sustained job growth, strong consumer spending, and increased demand for rental housing, the commercial real estate market continued to recover in the fourth quarter, marked by rising occupancy across all commercial property markets. However, the course of the pandemic, including the … [Read more...]

Battered by COVID-19 — some more than others — retailers are looking to rebound with increased creativity, flexibility, and agility. By Sarah Hoban | Summer 2021 The figures vary, but between 12,000 to 15,000 physical retail stores closed in 2020, and many predict that figure could be higher … [Read more...]

EFFORTS TO EXPAND RURAL BROADBAND HAVE SO FAR PROVED INADEQUATE. COULD 5G OR SATELLITE INTERNET CHANGE THE GAME FOR PEOPLE SEEKING REMOTE WORK OPTIONS? Read a vacation rental listing and sometimes see “no internet access” promoted as a plus. Such marketing chutzpah may work for a weekend … [Read more...]

Sustained job creation, more consumer spending, and the continuing return of the workforce to the office underpinned the commercial real estate’s recovery across all property sectors in the first half of 2021. Acquisitions of investors of commercial real estate rose 34% in the first half of 2021. … [Read more...]

As offices reopen, the COVID-19 workplace must emphasize flexibility, safety, and collaboration. By Sarah Hoban | As the economic recovery begins and COVID-19 vaccines become readily available, businesses and real estate professionals alike are working to determine their post-pandemic steps in … [Read more...]

April 20, 2021 (Chicago) – The REALTORS® Land Institute (RLI) and National Association of REALTORS® Research Group have released the results of their latest Land Market Survey. The survey shows that while the COVID-19 pandemic battered the commercial real estate market in 2020, the land market held … [Read more...]

Despite the continued economic recovery and the accelerated vaccine distribution,  commercial real estate acquisitions fell 59% in February as the lingering impact of the pandemic kept investors at the sidelines. The dollar volume of acquisitions fell across all property classes: office (-71%), … [Read more...]

In today’s climate, estimating an asset’s current and future worth is tricky but far from impossible. By Mark Polon, CCIM | Fall 2020 Benchmark valuation data is great, but not always readily available or relevant to your market. Because investors, brokers, lenders, appraisers, servicers, … [Read more...]

More commercial property owners are turning to air purification technology to improve indoor air quality at their buildings and try to prevent the spread of COVID-19. C ompanies are finding that investing in such systems may be key to getting workers back inside their buildings. Columbia … [Read more...]

SURVEY OF TECH TENANTS SHOWS PLANNED DROP IN FULLY OPEN LAYOUTS. By Lynn Ettinger After years of debate about their value, open-office layouts may be on the way out.  Less than half of technology tenants surveyed by Savills, a global real estate services provider, said they plan to keep their … [Read more...]

V/T Commercial is delighted to welcome Yves Bradley to its team of highly successful commercial real estate experts.  Yves brings with him almost 17 years of experience, and a wealth of knowledge and expertise in helping customers and clients alike.  Well known in the Greater Burlington community … [Read more...]

NEW FOCUS WILL CAUSE REDESIGN AND REBUILDING, DISPLACING OLD FORMATS. Space utilization has taken on immediate importance for tenants and landlords during COVID-19. In “Space Utilization and the Built Environment,” published in the latest issue of Real Estate Issues by The Counselors of … [Read more...]

Retail: Retail will see a bifurcated reaction to this economic downturn. Storefronts selling consumer staples - like Walmart, CVS, and grocery stores-will thrive, while dine-in restaurants, for example, could remain closed for the foreseeable future. Hospitality: Unsurprisingly, hospitality has … [Read more...]

It's Time to Start Considering Vermont as an Entrepreneurial Hub-- Here's Why With a track record to rival places 5 times its size, Vermont offers a unique combination of access and success. By Jeff BarrettCEO, Barrett … [Read more...]

“QOZ” Offers Potential Benefits To Investors and Underserved Communities November 26, 2018 Commercial & Investment Real Estate, Taxes, Tax Reform By: Erin Stackley The Qualified Opportunity Zones (“QOZ”) program is a creation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of … [Read more...]

November 27, 2018 Working With Younger Buyers, Natural Disaster Insurance, Transportation and Infrastructure, Energy Efficiency and Climate Change, Fair Housing, MLS & Online Listings, Taxes, Technology, Immigration Reform By Victor Calanog, Ph.D., … [Read more...]

Office Evolution The changing nature of work is driving new trends in office space.  By Sarah Hoban | September.October.18 Some factors are constants in the commercial office market -- Construction costs. Occupancy rates. Employment rates. Availability of skilled labor. But landlords and … [Read more...]

Tony Blake of V/T Commercial, as exclusive tenant representative, announced that the national firm of Sunrun signed a five year lease at 1354 Marshall Avenue, Williston from O'Brien Brothers.  Blake represented the tenant and Ross Montgomery and Matt Tedder of Kingsland Company represented the … [Read more...]

The Tenant Side of Commercial Leases: Special Risks, Special Attention Commercial & Investment Real Estate, Rental Properties By: Rob Warmowski No matter which business sector it serves, the commercial real estate lease is a detailed, binding contract … [Read more...]

Move Over Millennials, It's Gen Z's Turn to Kill Off Industries Millennials have been accused of killing so many products and industries — taxis, landlines, snail mail — that it’s become a media trope. But millennials are old news. Today, businesses and marketers are desperately anticipating the … [Read more...]

Global uncertainty and political polarization top the list of issues expected to have the most significant impact on real estate throughout 2017- 2018, according to The Counselors of Real Estate ®, the invitation-only professional association for the industry's leading real estate advisors. The … [Read more...]

Retailers are bracing for a fresh wave of store closures in 2018 that's expected to eclipse the rash of closures that rocked the industry last year. "Landlords are panicking," said Larry Perkins, CEO and founder of the advisory firm SierraConstellation Partners. "The last year was pretty … [Read more...]

Mall Owners Work to Reclaim Retail Wasteland With Public Money Zhenglong8614 | Dreamstime Monday, 30 Oct 2017 07:36 AM At the Brookfield Square mall in Wisconsin, the landlord, CBL & Associates Properties Inc., needed a new occupant for a fading Sears. CBL had been … [Read more...]

Interesting article on the changing retail environment: http://www.colliers.com/en-us/us/insights/marketnews/retail-spotlight-report-may-2017 … [Read more...]

 TRIPLE FIVE GROUP The expansive $5 billion American Dream Mall at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, N.J., represents the next wave of Super Malls that look more like amusement parks than shopping centers. by Suzette Parmley, Staff … [Read more...]

Robots Are Replacing Workers Where You Shop Wal-Mart and other large retailers, under pressure from Amazon, turn to technology to do workers’ rote tasks At Wal-Mart, self-checkout machines are replacing cashiers at more registers. PHOTO: WESLEY HITT FOR THE WALL STREET … [Read more...]

Amenities-rich offices become retention and recruitment tools. By Beth Mattson-Teig | The big topic of conversation across metros these days is that office space needs are shrinking as companies embrace mobile working and increase efficiency. Yet even as companies are downsizing footprints, they … [Read more...]

REAL ESTATE Dead Mall Space Could Spur Warehouse, E-Commerce Deals Excess parking facilities and underused retail space could be redeveloped into small-scale last-mile delivery or pickup facilities, Fitch Ratings said. An Amazon pop-up kiosk in the Green Acres … [Read more...]

Vermont's Opportunity Last month in an op-ed we sounded the alarm: our state is on the brink of losing an entire generation of young Vermonters. For far too many in our state, workforce skills do not match the opportunities with employers, and … [Read more...]

V/T Commercial is delighted and excited to welcome Linda I. Letourneau to its team of professionals!  Linda brings with her an incredible depth of knowledge and experience in the industry-- including 27 years of commercial real estate brokerage, management, and construction!  We are enthused to have … [Read more...]

Chris Sherman of V/T Commercial leased 3,187 square feet of space at 135 Allen Brook Lane, Williston to Vermont Strong Mind, Strong Body.  Sherman also leased an additional 2,117 square feet of space to Lisa Stephen, Katie Kelley, and Katie Rick for therapy offices.  Tony Blake of V/T Commercial … [Read more...]

Thousands of U.S. businesses could be affected by a proposed regulatory change that would substantially shift the way they account for the real estate they lease, and could have a seismic impact throughout the American market and beyond. The proposed change, which could take effect as early as … [Read more...]

Mike Comeau of Sterling Market, Johnson, VT leased an additional 2,500 square feet of retail space from the Pomerleau Agency for the establishment of a Vermont Liquor Agency location and local pharmacy.  Brad Worthen of V/T Commercial represented Comeau.  Yves Bradley of Pomerleau Real Estate … [Read more...]

Congratulations to Ben & Jerry’s which signed a new  lease extension for 64,494 sf at Technology Park in South Burlington.  Vermont’s iconic product will keep its administrative headquarters here for another 10 years!  Tony Blake represented Ben & Jerry’s parent company, Unilever USA, in … [Read more...]

Congratulations to Whitney Finley on her purchase of the Old Brick Store in Charlotte, VT from Carrie Fenn.  As one of the oldest continually operating general stores, this business is truly a center of the town’s activities.  Tony Blake brokered the sale of the business. … [Read more...]

By James Barron New York Times Feb. 22, 2015 Dafna Sarnoff worked her way up to vice president at American Express and what she remembers as “a desirable office.” Later she was hired by a financial services company — bigger salary, bigger office. Then, in 2012, she was recruited by Yodle, a … [Read more...]

Vanesse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. leased 12,792 square feet of newly refit office space at 40 IDX Drive in South Burlington. … [Read more...]

Congratulations to Redstone & Youkel on its purchase of the historic 79 West Canal Street property in Winooski.  The local company will be redeveloping the site into housing with construction scheduled to begin immediately. … [Read more...]

The Stern Center for Language & Learning sold its former facility at 135 Allen Brook Road, Williston to Morris Switzer Properties, LLC.  A complete renovation of the office building is planned– stay tuned for details!  Chris Sherman and Tony Blake represented the Stern Center in this sale. … [Read more...]

Extremely rare opportunity to purchase the Old Brick Store, in Charlotte.  Established over 160 years ago, this classic country store is threaded into the fabric of the entire community.  Perfect for the active and personable owner/operator!  Contact Tony Blake for details. … [Read more...]

Beautiful office building in a pastoral setting– great opportunity for owner occupancy or investment vehicle.  All offers will be seriously considered.  Contact Chris Sherman or Tony Blake for details. … [Read more...]