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By Gary Tasman Rarely a week passes without a financial publication speculating about the potential for a recession. While some experts believe that the red-hot job market is far too strong to precipitate a downturn in this calendar year, others point to traditional factors such as rising interest rates, high inflation and an inverted yield curve as signs that a recession could be just around the corner. In such uncertain economic times, it’s certainly difficult to know how to manage our investments, particularly when it comes to substantial ventures like commercial property. On the June episode of the “What’s Developing in Southwest Florida?” podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with JP Bacariza, Vice President and Tampa Market Leader at Ryan Companies. Ryan Companies is a national commercial developer with investments across the country. Despite the troubling economic indicators above, Bacariza says he believes that if a recession were to take hold in the coming year, our region could face minimal impacts. Regional Impacts During a Recession During times like these, we need to remind ourselves that a recession can bring varying effects to different sectors of the economy, as well as to different geographical regions. Our area was one of the hardest-hit in the country during the Great Recession, so it’s understandable for Southwest Floridians to be anxious about the prospect of another economic downturn. While we’re once again seeing a real estate boom in our area, the circumstances today are very different from those we experienced prior to the Great Recession. In the early 2000s, speculative investment dominated our local real estate and construction markets, producing too much inventory and setting the stage for failure. An oversupply of residential properties, coupled with the collapse of the housing market, caused property values to plummet and plunged tens of thousands of area homeowners into foreclosure. Unemployment soared when Southwest Florida’s tourism and construction industries stalled, creating a perfect storm of misfortune in our area. This time, however, demand—not speculation—is sparking our development boom. “There is a huge amount of housing need in this area,” said Bacariza. “I’m very bullish on the region because of that.” How exactly does our development boom translate into a less drastic economic downturn in Southwest Florida? The answer can be found by examining two key variables: net migration and infrastructure investment. The Impact of Net Migration In 2022, Florida was the fastest-growing state in the nation, with an increase of nearly 319,000 new residents in just one year. Here in Southwest Florida, our quality of life, abundant sunshine, convenient location to major metropolitan areas, ample recreational opportunities, relative affordability, and tax advantages have made our state, and particularly our region, a major draw for both residents and businesses. When more people move to Florida, the result is more opportunity, and not only in real estate and construction. As we’ve discussed in previous articles, growth creates a sustainable cycle of economic activity and opportunity. An influx of new residents creates demand for grocery stores, entertainment, schools, medical facilities, utilities, and other services. Easing this increase in demand requires staffing, which creates additional job opportunities and lures even more residents to the area. In an economic downturn, that cycle makes our region even more appealing. “The recession hits and you can’t find a job,” says Bacariza. “You look around the globe and you say, ‘where are people hiring?’ If I want a job, I might have to come down to Fort Myers. There’s a lot of jobs there because there’s a lot of demand.” The Role of Infrastructure Investment For those of us who endured Hurricane Ian, it’s difficult to say that one of the deadliest hurricanes in our history has a silver lining. However, the 2022 storm could be one of the keys to our region’s survival during a potential recession, thanks to federal infrastructure dollars. In March, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced $1.1 billion in assistance for Lee County in the form of a Community Development Block Grant for disaster recovery. In addition to infrastructure repair, these funds can be used for activities including housing redevelopment, economic revitalization, and long-term planning. Charlotte and Collier counties will see a smaller cut of these dollars, as part of an additional $728 million disaster funding grant that will be split between fourteen counties. “When the checks come through, that’s going to be stimulating the local economy, purely the local economy, in what might be a recession,” said Bacariza. “Having the rebuilding of Ian, that might be something that draws people in.” While infrastructure investment creates short-term employment opportunities, it also produces long-term growth. When businesses are able to operate more efficiently and become more productive, they can create even more jobs and stimulate further economic growth in the region, even during a time when the economy is stalled elsewhere. One Potential Pitfall: Insurance Rates While hurricane recovery funds will be essential to keeping Southwest Florida’s economic engine running, rising insurance rates could lead to a potential slowdown in development. Across the nation, the price of commercial property insurance is reaching a crisis point, with premiums increasing an average of 9.4% between 2021 and 2022. That number, however, pales in comparison to the skyrocketing insurance rates in the Sunshine State. Thanks in large part to Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, commercial insurance rates in Florida are expected to increase by as much as 50%. The rising cost of insurance can be an impediment to developers and investors, Bacariza told us. “If you want to insure a multifamily project, you’re not looking at $600 a unit now, you’re talking about $1600 a unit,” he said. “Someone that is still using last year’s numbers goes to get their insurance in place and finds that all of a sudden, the deal doesn’t pencil any more.” In addition to being burdensome for potential commercial investors, skyrocketing insurance rates can increase the cost of starting new businesses and place financial strain on existing enterprises. For industries heavily reliant on property

By Gary Tasman When NOAA predicted a “near normal” Atlantic hurricane season for 2023, many Southwest Floridians breathed a cautious sigh of relief. However, long-time Florida residents know not to put much stock into these predictions, as a catastrophic storm can occur even in the mildest of years. Hurricane Andrew, after all, devastated South Florida in a “below normal” season. If June’s active tropics are any indication of the coming months, we could be in for another nerve-wracking summer and fall in Southwest Florida. When most of us discuss hurricane preparation, we initially think of protecting our families and our homes, including our collective annual tradition of stocking up on bottled water and hand sanitizer. For commercial property owners, emergency planning is also an essential duty, to protect their assets and ensure the safety of tenants and employees. Too often, however, property owners rely on the same pre-fabricated hurricane checklists we use at home, and overlook one of the most important parts of the emergency planning process: risk assessment. What is a Risk Assessment? Conducting a risk assessment helps property owners identify possible hazards, vulnerabilities or areas of concern that may make a site susceptible to damage. Although we will discuss hurricane-related risk primarily in this article, there are numerous other potential risks to consider in a truly comprehensive assessment. Data breaches, supply chain disruption, financial volatility, occupational safety, crime and civil unrest can all make a business or property vulnerable. For commercial property owners in areas susceptible to natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, or floods, determining the risk related to these hazards should be completed regularly, and the results used to fortify a physical structure and the operations within it. While none of us can change the track of a hurricane, we can certainly mitigate the impact of that storm once it arrives. Risk assessments are important for protecting physical property, ensuring the safety of occupants, and ease potential financial losses. A risk assessment can also help owners better comply with required safety standards, reduce your legal liability, and potentially even reduce your insurance rates. How do I Conduct a Hurricane Risk Assessment? Review your history. While none of us want to dwell on Hurricane Ian, looking back on the impact of past storms is an excellent start to conducting a risk assessment.  With your tenants, property managers, and facilities staff, review how your property held up during recent storms. Each of the pain points that you or your tenants experienced is a potential area of concern for a future tropical event. Conduct a threat assessment. Storm surge, high winds, and flying debris are some of the most obvious hazards during a hurricane. However, these hazards can produce other risks, such as downed power lines or inoperable communication systems. These threats not only threaten the safety of tenants, employees, and visitors, they can also disrupt the vital operations conducted within your facility. Search for structural vulnerabilities. Evaluating your physical property’s structural integrity will help you reveal any potential weaknesses. Depending on the size of your facility, when it was built, or where it’s located, you may want to employ professionals such as structural engineers, building inspectors, construction contractors or architects with experience in building assessments. These consultants can help conduct a detailed evaluation of the property’s foundation, walls, roofs, windows, and other structural components. Assess surrounding properties. In addition to evaluating the structure itself, consider the area surrounding it. Carports, fences, outdoor furniture, trees, and even signage can become hazards during high winds. Neighboring buildings or nearby construction sites may also have equipment or structural features that could pose a threat during a storm. Audit the mechanical systems. HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and other mechanical systems experience daily wear and tear that may not be obvious or of concern until a hurricane or other emergency. While regular inspections should already be part of your protocol, a risk assessment should review whether these mechanical elements are properly secured and protected from the elements. You may want to consult with mechanical engineers, HVAC specialists, plumbers or other technicians to provide insights into potential vulnerabilities. Test and evaluate emergency systems. You’re likely already regularly testing your fire alarms and fire suppression systems, emergency lighting, and backup generators. However, few of us take the time to evaluate whether these systems are still appropriate for our needs. Although they may still be compliant with local safety codes and regulations, relying on outdated systems may hinder your emergency response or ability to return to business quickly. Understand your tenants. Some businesses and organizations are considered to be essential services during a hurricane and will remain on site. Media organizations, for example, will typically require their teams to “ride out” the storm while producing radio programming, newscasts, or newspapers to keep the public informed. Other businesses may need to return to the facility quickly after a storm to assist in recovery efforts. As you assess risk for your facility, it’s important to understand your tenants’ needs and their emergency plans. Review your insurance coverage. Once you’re familiar with the potential risks to your property, consult with your insurance provider to ensure your policy provides adequate coverage with no potential gaps or redundancies. Identifying your unique vulnerabilities allows your insurer to offer more tailored coverage options that align with your risk profile and potentially reduce your financial losses after a hurricane. Prioritize risks and mitigation activities. Once you’ve documented the potential risks to your property, taking action is the next vital step. Rank each risk based on its likelihood and potential impact, then focus on producing mitigation strategies for each vulnerability. Prioritize those that represent the most significant threats to your property, its tenants, and your business operations. The Role of a Property Management Team Conducting a hurricane risk assessment is a valuable tool—one that is integral to the emergency planning process. Unfortunately, it can also be a time-consuming activity for busy commercial property owners, especially those who have invested in multiple properties or own large

By Gary Tasman Earlier this month, the World Health Organization declared an official end to the coronavirus public health emergency. Although most traces of the pandemic have faded, its societal impact still lingers. COVID-19 has irreversibly changed the way we shop, communicate, visit the doctor, and even enjoy our meals. We are spending more time at home and online than ever before—and this trend is certainly also reflected in our workspaces. Three years ago, as the majority of offices across the country remained shuttered because of the coronavirus pandemic, analysts and property owners began pondering the long-term fate of the commercial office. Prior to the pandemic, fewer than 6% of the American workforce primarily worked from home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  In May 2020, two months into the coronavirus shutdowns, the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 35% of employees were completing their job duties from home, proving that remote work models could indeed be productive, while also providing a glimpse into the future of the changing American office. At the time, Cushman & Wakefield |Commercial Property Southwest Florida (CPSWFL) predicted how workspaces would change, not only as the product of ongoing pandemic-related caution, but also as a result of employees’ embrace of the work-from-home model. In a July 2020  News-Press article, CPSWFL forecasted that the change in work trends would ultimately lead businesses to utilize less private space for individual offices and instead dedicate more room to public and social spaces. The Importance of Collaborative Workspace Why are open, collaborative workspaces important in a time when many of us complete our job responsibilities away from the office? There are two primary reasons: social capital and company culture. While technology affords us many opportunities to remain connected, our chat rooms, virtual meetings, and cloud-based collaboration deprives us of cultural connections. A 2022 report by Microsoft noted that our social connections are suffering because of hybrid and remote work. Employees who feel connected with their teammates report higher productivity, lower stress, stronger wellbeing and job fulfillment, and have less interest in pursuing jobs with other employers. While it’s certainly possible for remote and hybrid team members to feel connected with their coworkers, it is an uphill battle. The same report notes that the majority of remote and hybrid employees have fewer work friendships, and feel more lonely than they did as in-office workers. Maintaining a cultural connection is also challenging in remote and hybrid work environments. Harvard Business Review notes that “…just 25% of remote and hybrid knowledge workers feel connected to their company’s culture.” However, that same article notes that mandating team members to return to work has an even more negative impact on cultural connectedness. One way to promote connectedness to both teammates and company culture is providing collaborative workspace where employees aren’t forced to meet, but instead want to meet. Social space should provide enough room for your whole team, and ideally is used not only for meetings but for special events and activities that promote cultural connection. An increase in public and social space also offers another benefit to employers: a reduced need for total office area, and decreased facility costs. But there may be a hitch in that theory. Hybrid Work and Office Productivity From a business perspective, remote and hybrid work can afford businesses the ability to lease less space, offering potential savings. However, many fear that those savings will be offset by a reduction in productivity. Although remote office workers regularly report that they feel more productive without workplace interruptions, supervisors are growing increasingly skeptical. The term “productivity paranoia” is an apt description for this emerging trend. In a Microsoft survey, 87% of employees report that they are productive at work, and productivity signals produced by Microsoft 365 use indicate this is indeed the case.  The number of hours worked are on the rise, as are virtual meetings and other activity metrics. However, hybrid managers say they are struggling to trust their employees because of less visibility into their team members’ day-to-day work. In many ways, providing collaborative workspaces can help solve this dilemma. Employees receive the benefit of increased connectivity and managers can maintain their desired touchpoints with their teams, all while still reducing their organization’s total space needs. Post-Pandemic Office Trends The report Obsolescence Equals Opportunity, produced by Cushman & Wakefield, observes that “the office sector is facing a critical chapter of necessary adaptation, evolution, and recalibration.” As offices work to either relocate or reconfigure to adapt to the needs of a hybrid work model, employers are discovering the need for newer, or higher-quality space that offers more adaptable structure and a stronger in-person experience for employees. This creates a rift between supply and demand. Entering the pandemic, Southwest Florida had balance in the commercial office market. With few employers in the region offering remote or hybrid work opportunities, the office real estate sector was right-sized.  Coming out of the pandemic, however, the balance has skewed.  While business in our region is booming thanks to a population explosion, the need for space is shrinking because employers now need less space per employee. This trend is evident when looking at leasing data in the Southwest Florida office market.  Vacancy rates in leased office space have climbed by 130 basis points, from 13.6% to 14.9% year over year. This comes despite a 4.7% increase locally in non-farm employment, and a 6.3% jump in professional and business services employment over the same period, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Southwest Florida is not alone in this trend. Nationally, the once-common equilibrium between job growth and office demand has disappeared. Cushman & Wakefield data notes that for the first two decades of the 2000s, office demand and employment growth had an 85% correlation. However, since Q2 of 2020, the economy added 1.4 million office workers, while the amount of commercial office space in use has dropped more than 180 million square feet. Could this shift be long term or even

By Gary Tasman If you’ve ever attended a ceremonial groundbreaking for a school, restaurant, corporate headquarters or other new building, you understand the symbolism of that first turn of the dirt. The groundbreaking ceremony signifies the start of that construction project. In most cases, however, months or even years have already been spent preparing the land for future growth, as planners and developers work behind the scenes to make the property “shovel ready.” Attempting to market a property that is not shovel ready can be a significant barrier to making a commercial property sale. In fact, it’s hindered some significant transactions right here in Southwest Florida. But what does it mean to have a shovel ready property, and why is it so important? What Does Shovel Ready Mean? The term shovel ready became popular during the Great Recession, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The legislation placed funding priority on projects that could begin construction rapidly, in hopes of jumpstarting the economy by providing investment and employment opportunities quickly. The term “shovel ready” became an important buzzword, and an even more important strategy, in commercial real estate. Although there’s no standard definition for shovel readiness, the term typically refers to commercial sites that are entitled/permitted and ready to be developed. All of the front-end planning and due diligence has been completed: Environmental studies and soil analysis have been conducted and approved environmental permits are in hand, infrastructure is in place (or at least in process), and planning and zoning processes have been completed. In other words, the site is compliant with local, state, and federal regulations and prepared for the quick start of construction. A shovel ready site also has a clear title, with no questions as to its ownership to make the transfer of ownership simple. Many states and municipalities support shovel readiness through a site certification program—in fact, more than two-thirds of U.S. states have a site readiness certification, although there are inconsistencies between them and no national standard to follow. While Florida does not have such a program, some public-private partnerships are working to fill the gap. Utility providers Duke Energy and Florida Power & Light both partner with Enterprise Florida on site readiness initiatives. Enterprise Florida also offers site preparedness grants to rural communities looking to expand and attract business. While getting a large property shovel ready can require a significant investment in both capital and time, the benefits to the seller and the buyer both outweigh the disadvantages. Why is it Important for Land to be Shovel Ready? Having a shovel ready site offers differentiation for property owners seeking to market their land for sale, particularly in a hot market like Southwest Florida. While a shovel ready site is not exactly turnkey for a buyer, it will reduce their start-up costs, risk and the time it takes them to get to market.  Businesses and builders looking to ramp up quickly and establish their presence in the market will seek out shovel ready sites in order to hit the ground running. Consider this: In Southwest Florida, it is not out of the ordinary for a commercial project to take up to two years to obtain all of the necessary land use and civil engineering permits. While permitting requirements and other regulations obviously vary from county to county, similar timelines can be expected in many metropolitan areas. For a business seeking to relocate its headquarters quickly, a two-year wait on top of the actual construction timeframe can make even the most desirable location unattractive. In addition to reducing time-to-business, prospective buyers also want to reduce up-front costs and mitigate risk.  Having all of the entitlements completed in a shovel ready site creates less chance of a surprise that will delay construction or require additional financial outlay. When sites are targeted, selected, and prepared for economic development before going to market, they are more attractive opportunities for buyers. Those that attempt to sell a site without first making it shovel ready may struggle, particularly in a competitive commercial real estate market. Case Study: Lee County Port Authority’s Skyplex An excellent example of this can be found in Lee County, with the property designated for Skyplex. Skyplex is a 1,800 -acre property located on the north side of Southwest Florida International Airport property, that includes more than 900 acres targeted primarily for office sites: corporate headquarters, office complexes, and science and technology companies. The remaining land will be targeted for aviation-related uses, open/green space, wetland preservation and storm water management.  The Port Authority-owned Skyplex property is ideally located for commercial development. Situated at one of the nation’s largest airports in terms of land mass, Skyplex is convenient to Interstate 75, Daniels Parkway, Alico Road, and Colonial Boulevard. The site is located within a Foreign Trade Zone, which offers numerous cost-saving benefits. Finally, a large workforce is located within a short distance, as recent development and transportation corridor improvements have shortened the commute for those in Lehigh Acres, Fort Myers, and South Lee County. The first tenant to move into Skyplex was Sky Walk, a Publix-anchored shopping center that opened in 2017 and proved the site’s value to builders. That same year, one of Lee County’s largest employers, Gartner, announced that it would build a new 143,000 square foot campus on a 19-acre Skyplex parcel. Since then, Alta Resources has constructed a $21 million dollar facility at the Port Authority-owned commercial property. Neither Alta nor Gartner were strangers to the area– both already had a large footprint in the Gateway area, so Skyplex was a natural progression for them. The key to continuing this momentum at Skyplex is shovel readiness, according to Don Schrotenboer, real estate consultant and managing partner of Realvizory. “Headquarters wanting to relocate don’t want to wait two to three years that it takes sometimes to get through the entitlement process to reposition a property,” Schrotenboer told us on our most recent episode of the “What’s Developing in Southwest Florida” podcast.

By Gary Tasman Many people are surprised to learn that as commercial property brokers, our role at Cushman & Wakefield | Commercial Property Southwest Florida (CPSWFL) goes far beyond simply buying, selling, and leasing real estate.  While real estate transactions are certainly our core business, we strive to offer added value to our clients.  Our experience and knowledge of our local market and economic drivers, combined with local and global research and analytics, allow us to provide our clients with nuanced insights. This empowers them to make smart decisions, whether they’re seeking to buy or sell an investment property, relocate a business, or develop a previously vacant parcel. This service—essentially consulting and counseling—has allowed us to become one of the architects of our region’s commercial development landscape. We’ve assisted large corporations, small businesses, nonprofits, and government entities as they seek to solve problems, discover hidden opportunities, and adapt to the evolution of our rapidly growing region. While CPSWFL largely assists clients in Lee, Collier, and Charlotte Counties, there is another entity that is looking at the future of our region and offering their insight into the possibilities Southwest Florida holds. That entity is known as the Counselors of Real Estate, and their work will change Southwest Florida as we know it. Who Are the Counselors of Real Estate? The Counselors of Real Estate (CRE) are a collective of problem solvers. This team of international experts offers unbiased advice on complex matters, including large scale property and development issues. Its credentialed members include real estate brokers, developers, economists, futurists, academics, investors, and experts from the financial and legal realms. Together, they are renowned for “applying rigorous, independent, and informed analysis to complex real estate decisions facing their clientele.” The CRE’s clientele is equally as diverse as its membership. They include government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, investment management firms, developers, pension endowments, appraisers, bankers, architectural and engineering firms, real estate investment trusts, and others. One of the Counselors of Real Estate’s largest initiatives is the CRE Consulting Corps.  This public service program aids nonprofits, educational institutions, and government entities with real estate analysis and action plans on a pro bono basis. This team of CRE volunteers recently advised the Town of Paradise, California on how to rebuild after the Camp Fire of 2018, one of the most destructive disasters in state history. More recently, the Consulting Corps advised the Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde in Oregon on how to redevelop an industrialized parcel that had once been tribal ancestral homelands. CRE Consulting Corps in Southwest Florida Why have the Counselors of Real Estate turned their attention to Southwest Florida?  Because of one of the most ambitious initiatives ever seen in our region. 18 months ago, our friends at the Collaboratory (formerly the Southwest Florida Community Foundation) announced their community initiative to solve all of Southwest Florida’s social problems on an 18-year deadline. Of course, issues like hunger, domestic violence, transportation, homelessness, childhood education, poverty, public safety, addiction, nutrition, and poverty are not unique to Southwest Florida. At first glance, these challenges may all seem like individual issues.  However, Collaboratory CEO Sarah Owen recognizes the interconnectivity between these issues, and understands that our region’s future development sets the stage for how we manage — and hopefully solve — these complex problems. If you’re familiar with systems theory, you understand that Southwest Florida’s social challenges don’t exist in a vacuum. Defined as “[a] theory of interacting processes and the way they influence each other over time to permit the continuity of some larger whole,” systems theory can apply to science, nature, business, and of course, society. Typically, we address these challenges with a siloed approach. There are hundreds of nonprofits and initiatives across Southwest Florida that do important work tackling issues on an individual basis. However, because these matters are interconnected — or as the Collaboratory says, “entangled”— their progress is limited because each of these issues exists in a system that created or nurtured it. Instead of tackling individual problems, the Collaboratory hopes to rebuild the system that has enabled these problems. But, as Owen explained to us on the season finale of our “What’s Developing in Southwest Florida” podcast, “as we begin to reimagine what our region could be, our natural instinct right is just to build it back exactly as it was.”  Her team at the Collaboratory knows that sometimes it takes an unbiased outsider — or a team of them — to help us understand our own challenges. Creating a Thriving, Developing Southwest Florida If you’re a regular reader of our articles, then you understand how development plays a role in our region’s success. As our population continues to surge, our need increases for more utility, transportation, and communication infrastructure. Our airports expand, creating a demand for more jobs in the tourism and service industries. Higher housing demand for our many new residents pushes out low-income buyers, creating an affordable housing crisis. Challenges like these, and many others, will be tackled by the CRE Consulting Corps as they evaluate and advise the Collaboratory and community leaders across Southwest Florida. The Corps is focused on transforming communities through understanding the region’s challenges. The goal of these experts is to create a realistic, feasible, and achievable road map for solving the community’s concerns. In the Fall of 2022, Corps members visited Southwest Florida at the Collaboratory’s request, to analyze our market and listen to stakeholders. At CPSWFL, our Commercial Property Experts had the opportunity to meet with the Corps to share our knowledge of the development landscape in Southwest Florida. Shortly after their visit, Hurricane Ian hit our region, and the Corps visited again with experts in disaster response and recovery. They will continue to return to offer their expertise on not only the Collaboratory’s 18-year plan, but also on how to reimagine our community after the hurricane. Those that fear that outsiders will be dictating our region’s growth need not worry. Community input and feedback is an essential component of

By Gary Tasman The past year has been a remarkable one in Southwest Florida, and the commercial real estate market is no exception to this trend. Record low vacancy rates, combined with a continued population surge in the region, have driven local demand for commercial property to historic levels. In contrast, high interest rates, inflation, and hybrid work conditions have made the commercial property outlook in other parts of the nation much less positive. With 2022 now behind us, our team at Cushman & Wakefield | Commercial Property Southwest Florida (CPSWFL) is taking the opportunity to reflect on some of the landmark transactions we’ve overseen during the last 12 months. While each of these transactions were remarkable in their own right, together they speak to the strength of the commercial real estate market in Southwest Florida. Industrial Development Near RSW Since the start of the pandemic, commercial development near Southwest Florida International Airport has been surging. Alico Road, Daniels Parkway and Ben Hill Griffin Parkway are lined with new warehouses, distribution hubs and fulfillment centers. With our strategic location conveniently placed between Florida’s two largest metropolitan areas, it’s no wonder that developers, online retailers, and distributors have taken notice of Southwest Florida. In 2022, the most significant transaction in this corridor was the sale of 312.5 acres located at 16200 Ben Hill Griffin Parkway. Sold by our team in May for $40 million, the property has frontages on three major roadways, including Interstate 75, Ben Hill Griffin Parkway and Airport Access Road. With nearly all of the property around it already in development, the property was in high demand, receiving multiple bids from all across the country. The land’s previous owner, Youngquist Brothers, made numerous investments in the property to prepare it for sale, including clearing the land and securing entitlement for a master planned development to include industrial, office, medical, and hotel construction. The property is currently in permitting for development of the Gulf Landing Logistics Center, a mixed-use planned development. The sale of this property speaks to the strength of Southwest Florida as a market for industrial development.  At the time of the sale, the industrial vacancy rate in Southwest Florida was a mere 1.0%, a number substantially lower than the 3.1% rate in the rest of the country. While projects like the Gulf Landing Logistics Center will surely make a dent in industrial vacancies, we anticipate that demand will continue to outpace supply in the industrial sector. Mixed-Use Development in Estero An equally notable transaction for our team was the $32 million sale of 45.6 acres at the intersection of Tamiami Trail and Coconut Road in Estero. The previous owner of the land, Lee Health, had initially purchased it as an investment property as it built Lee Health Coconut Point. The hospital system had worked with the Village of Estero to create a plan for a mixed-use development on the property.  Our team was tasked to find a developer that shared the same vision for the land. The buyer, Woodfield Development and ELV Associates, plans to build a world-class mixed use project on the site, with market-rate multi-family housing alongside retail, restaurants, office, and more. We anticipate that the parcel will also house a community center or cultural center. We’ve all heard the cliche that the three most important factors in real estate are location, location, and location, and this property is a prime example. Located on US-41, directly across the street from the bustling Coconut Point shopping center, the land also has significant infrastructure already in place, which will allow the new developer to hit the ground running. Improving Southwest Florida’s Office Stock One of the most symbolic transactions we brokered in 2022 was the sale of 5220 Summerlin Commons Boulevard in Fort Myers. Sold for $10.25 million, the five-story building is particularly important to us because the fifth floor houses our CPSWFL headquarters. While office real estate sales have been slow nationally, the commercial office market in Southwest Florida has been very competitive. At mid-year, our region’s office vacancy rate hovered around 5%, well below the national average of nearly 18%. Again, we can attribute our rapid population growth to this trend. But while office properties may be a hot commodity in our area, Southwest Florida’s existing stock of office space is dated. Years with very little speculative development in our area have led to a shortage of modern space. To many investors, our area’s older office buildings signal a great opportunity to buy antiquated office stock and add value through upgrades. This can include “smart building” improvements, which not only make an office more efficient but also drive higher rents in the long run. Satisfying the Need for Multi-Family Housing Our final two landmark transactions in 2022 will provide some much-needed multi-family housing in two areas with a desperate need for apartments: Cape Coral and Naples. Located near the intersection of Chiquita Boulevard and Pine Island Road in Cape Coral, the property that will house The Hadley sold for $14.65 million in June. The 444-unit multifamily project was fully approved and ready to go vertical at the time of the sale. It is one of several large multifamily developments currently under construction in the Cape, an area that has struggled to keep up with its rapid growth and need for rental properties. More Class A apartment space is also coming to Naples, where we brokered the sale of three conjoined parcels totalling nearly 19 acres at 8552 Collier Boulevard, just west of the Florida Sports Park. The parcels sold in August for $8.995 million, and will be developed into Fiori, a 303-unit multifamily complex. Both of these multi-family properties are the vision of The Latigo Group LLC, a Los Angeles-based real estate development and investment company focused on high quality multi-family properties in strategic markets. The complexes, which are expected to open in 2024, will feature resort-style amenities like fitness and wellness features, resort-style pools, coworking spaces, and more. Both will offer one,

By Gary Tasman The year 2022 is one we won’t soon forget here in Southwest Florida. We started the year with record-breaking inflation, as supply chain issues, labor shortages, and the costs of materials all drove prices higher. At the time, we predicted a busy year for both land and development deals, thanks to record-low supply. We also predicted that the then-anticipated interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve Bank would flatten prices and slow sales of both commercial and residential properties.  What we didn’t predict was Hurricane Ian– or how the worst disaster in Southwest Florida history would impact our economy and our property market. As we look ahead to our commercial property predictions for 2023, it would be impossible to ignore Ian’s impact. Unarguably, Hurricane Ian changed the course of development in Southwest Florida. With more than $5 billion in estimated damages in Lee County alone, our region is focused not just on building, but on rebuilding. In many ways, the hurricane will accelerate growth in our region, thanks to infrastructure funding that will bolster our emergency preparedness as a region. Where will we see growth in 2023? Continue reading for our five commercial property trends to watch. Affordable Housing on the Fast Track Affordable housing has been a concern across the state and particularly in Southwest Florida for years. The Florida Housing Coalition announced this year that there was a statewide deficit of close to half a million homes that are affordable to lower- and middle-income families. The agency estimates that in Lee County, one-quarter of homeowners are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their annual income on housing expenses. The numbers are similar in Collier (25.7%) and Charlotte (23.4%) counties. Renters carry an even larger burden. In Lee, 48.3% of renter households are cost-burdened, with Collier County renters at 50.2% and Charlotte renters at 52.3%. Although we anticipate that rent growth and home prices will level off, we don’t foresee prices falling down to pre-pandemic levels. The demand erosion caused by the national economic slowdown will largely be offset by expansion in our area due to the hurricane. With more than 5,000 homes destroyed in Lee County alone (and countless others rendered with major damage), demand will remain high for both long-term and temporary housing. Initiatives from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will work to alleviate some of our affordable housing woes, and new multifamily developments coming online will add much-needed supply to our housing stock. However, our community’s leaders know that to truly solve our region’s housing crisis, we need to increase supply, and create equilibrium between supply and demand. Unfortunately, increasing our supply of housing and rental stock will take time, and 2023 is too soon to see relief. Construction costs are high due to shortages of both materials and labor, and the cost to borrow money for development also presents a challenge. However, Hurricane Ian has made our housing conundrum more urgent than ever, and we expect that local governments will be motivated to take action. The Reimagining of the Office Part of the reason for our region’s housing woes is the population explosion we experienced during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.  Office workers with newly-remote positions were given the opportunity to work from anywhere in the world. Many chose to live in paradise and relocated to Southwest Florida. As of 2022, 26% of American employees work entirely remotely, and nearly two-thirds of U.S. workers are at least partly remote. This creates a challenge for office-based employers, who will need to re-think their work model or face the possibility of losing employees to companies with more flexible policies. Another, more local, factor will also force office occupiers to reconsider their model. Prior to the hurricane, our region’s supply of commercial real estate was already limited. The Southwest Florida office property vacancy rate was a shockingly low 4.8% entering the fourth quarter of 2022, according to our MarketBeats report for Q3 2022. In line with the low supply, office asking rent had climbed to $20.79 per square foot, an increase of nearly 12% from just 24 months earlier. With wages also growing by close to 8% over that same period, employers will need to find ways to cut costs. While it’s unlikely that most employers will switch to a fully-remote workforce, the need for cost containment will encourage many businesses to switch to a hybrid model to reduce operating costs and satisfy employee desires for more freedom. And while hybrid work may reduce some demand for office space in our area, we predict that some of our more antiquated commercial stock will be redeveloped into industrial space or even multi-family properties to satisfy the region’s needs. Pent-Up Demand for Mega-Resorts Hurricane Ian impacted more than just homes and offices– repairs are underway at numerous hotels and resorts across Southwest Florida. Three of the largest resorts in Collier County, the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Vanderbilt Beach Resort and LaPlaya Beach Resort, sustained major damage. Others in Lee County, especially those on vacation mecca Fort Myers Beach, are either closed for repairs or permanently shut down. As of early November, roughly 40% of Lee County’s hotel rooms still remained closed. With little room for tourists this season, our region will see a substantial buildup of demand for lodging options. Yes, tourism numbers are likely down for at least the next year, but a number of new mega-resorts will alleviate the strain as vacationers and snowbirds begin to arrive in late 2023.  Margaritaville in Fort Myers Beach and Sunseeker Resort in Punta Gorda will be joined by a Four Seasons resort in Naples, all in planning well before Hurricane Ian. Once these resorts come online, we expect that they will produce outstanding occupancy and positive room rates, thanks to the pent-up demand for quality vacation spots. Once these resorts prove the concept, like-minded investors will want to join the party. With tourism still the region’s major economic driver, new resorts will not only bring in

By Gary Tasman There are a lot of reasons to love Southwest Florida: beautiful beaches, abundant activities, and a snow-free environment typically top residents’ lists. But ask the average Southwest Floridian what they dislike most about our region, and you’ll often hear the same answer over and over again: traffic. That response likely wouldn’t survive employees at navigation app developer TomTom. The TomTom Traffic Index, which analyzes urban congestion worldwide, ranks the Fort Myers-Cape Coral area as the 13th most congested metro area in the entire United States, just behind Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Tampa. TomTom estimates that Lee County drivers lose 73 hours sitting in traffic in a year– more than three days’ worth of time. Fortunately, work-from-home initiatives, new transportation corridors, and employers who have relocated to more commuter-friendly locations have relieved some congestion in our region. For those Southwest Floridians still frustrated by traffic, we have good news: More relief is coming from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Transportation Infrastructure and Population Growth FDOT has been paying close attention to population growth in our region as it prepares for the transportation needs of the future. Between Lee, Collier, and Charlotte Counties, 100 new residents are moving to our region daily. Lee County is one of the 10 fastest-growing counties in the United States, growing 19% in the last decade. All three counties are expected to continue growing at a rapid pace for the foreseeable future. Explosive population growth like ours nurtures demand for new services, new industries, and new jobs. The pressure generated by each of these factors will urge significant investments in transportation infrastructure. For example, as Northwest Cape Coral’s population expands, the widening of Burnt Store Road will allow residents better access to Interstate 75. Other transportation projects in the works promise to relieve traffic at I-75 and Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers and improve access to the interstate for commuters in Golden Gate. However, I-75 itself is also a focus. FDOT Southwest Connect Program FDOT’s Southwest Connect program takes interstate connectivity a step further than the aforementioned initiatives. According to FDOT, each project within the program is expected to move people and goods safely and efficiently while balancing regional transportation needs with community concerns. The four pillars of FDOT’s program are: interstate improvements to accommodate long-term needs for capacity and mobility; new interchanges to I-75 and accessibility improvements to existing interchanges; enhanced liveability and economic growth through complete streets design principles; and multi-modal accommodations to enhance access, efficiency and safety in transportation. As FDOT works to identify the future transportation needs of our community, it will engage the public and local agencies, including county and city governments. Possible transportation alternatives may include strategies like managed lanes like those dedicated to carpool/high occupancy vehicles, truck-only lanes, or express lanes. Improving access and flow on the interstate will surely relieve some of our region’s traffic woes. However, numerous other initiatives and studies, particularly in Lee County, are focused on reducing the number of vehicles on our roads altogether. Public Transit Initiatives in Lee County A $3.89 million improvement project to LeeTran’s Rosa Parks Transportation Center in midtown Fort Myers is adding four more bus bays and expanding access for bicyclists, pedestrians, and persons with limited mobility. The improvements will be the first of any significance for the facility since it opened 22 years ago, and a welcome sight for anyone who depends on public transit in Lee County. The Southwest Florida Vanpool Program also reduces the number of vehicles on our roads by providing a low-cost, convenient commute. The fleet, provided by Enterprise, includes large passenger vans, minivans and crossover vehicles. The program allows coworkers who live near one another to form vanpools of up to 15 commuters, who share expenses and driving responsibilities. However, the most futuristic of FDOT’s initiatives is the autonomous shuttle program it hopes to implement in the next five years. LeeTran has been identified as a partner transit agency, and a potential route for the driverless shuttle is being identified in downtown Fort Myers. While the initial stage of this program may not make a significant impact on our region’s overall traffic woes, the program itself is evidence of FDOT’s willingness to look at outside-the-box solutions to our area’s traffic woes. Transportation Infrastructure and Commercial Real Estate Naturally, when we talk about improvements to transportation in our region, most of us wonder how they will impact our own daily commutes. However, the importance of transportation infrastructure improvements expands far beyond our own personal convenience. Investment in transportation infrastructure is vital to the health of the commercial real estate market in any community. Residents need access to goods and services, employers need access to personnel, and manufacturers need access to distributors and warehouses. Commercial growth in Southwest Florida has closely followed infrastructure investment, and this trend will continue as our population boom continues. The ability to transport goods, services, and employees are vital to the success of our region’s businesses. With transportation advancements, smart businesses will be able to reduce costs, boost their productivity, and create jobs for the 100 newcomers a day that arrive in our region. How will transportation changes in Southwest Florida impact your business? Are you in the right location to take advantage of our region’s growth? If you’re seeking the answers to these questions, contact the Commercial Property Experts at Cushman & Wakefield | Commercial Property Southwest Florida. Our team of commercial real estate professionals has the knowledge and experience to help guide you and your business. Call us at 239-489-3600 or contact us.

By Gary Tasman If you’ve lived in Florida long enough, you understand the emotional roller-coaster that recovery from a disastrous event like Hurricane Ian can produce. In the days after the storm, it’s easy to toy with the thought of moving to a landlocked state– or at least an interior community. “Never again,” we say.  However, most residents and businesses choose to stay, either out of a love for our Southwest Florida lifestyle, a sense of obligation to the community, or possibly because of sheer stubbornness. The interaction between those who choose to stay, those who move away, and those who seek new opportunities in the region all play a significant role in shaping our commercial property landscape. Supply, Demand and Post-Hurricane Recovery Immediately after a disaster event, property owners and managers conduct an assessment of the impact of the storm. This can include inspecting structures for physical damage and mechanical failures, determining what services and utilities will need to be restored, and assessing what repairs or resources will be needed to restore operations to normal. Difficult decisions are often made during this first phase. Property owners need to determine if damage should– or can– be repaired. Expenses, safety concerns, and other considerations may render a facility beyond repair. For these properties, owners will need to decide whether to rebuild or sell. While you might think that property owners will have challenges selling after a disaster, in actuality, Hurricane Ian will transform our commercial real estate market into an even stronger seller’s market.  We entered the summer and fall hurricane season with an exceptionally tight inventory of office and industrial space available.  At the end of the third quarter, our MarketBeat reports showed an office vacancy rate of 4.8%, substantially below our area’s ten-year average of 7.7% and the national average office vacancy of 17.8%. Industrial properties were even more difficult to secure, with a record-breaking low vacancy rate of 0.7%, compared to 3.2% nationally. Because of the number of properties that were either temporarily or irreparably damaged during the Hurricane, the available commercial inventory will become even tighter. At the same time, demand will spike because of the many businesses that need to relocate to continue operating. This interaction between an already record-low supply and high demand will cause prices on commercial properties to increase. The Impact of Newcomers to Southwest Florida Helping local businesses get back on their feet and find new space has been a priority for the Cushman & Wakefield | Commercial Property Southwest Florida (CPSWFL) team since the moment Hurricane Ian passed our region. Many of our early efforts also included helping government agencies, nonprofits, disaster recovery companies, and others involved in emergency response as they flocked to our region to assist after the storm. CPSWFL was ready to help those who came to help us. For example, we assisted FEMA in securing a sublease of Gartner’s then-vacant office space in Gateway, so that the agency could begin offering recovery services as quickly as possible. Newcomers are also arriving in the form of commercial real estate investors. For the last several weeks, our brokerage has received numerous inquiries from developers prepared to invest billions of dollars in commercial properties in Southwest Florida. At the same time, we are also fielding calls from many property owners with older buildings– standing or not– who want to know what their land is worth before deciding to sell. New builders in our area will receive economic benefits from disaster recovery grants that will allow them to build back better, stronger, and more efficiently. While they’ll need to pay a premium because of our staggeringly low inventory, they will reap the benefits of properties with proven locations and infrastructure already in place. Sellers, on the other hand, will be able to offload their properties in as-is condition and still come out of the transaction in good financial condition, particularly when compared to what they could have sold their properties for before the storm. While some may find it easy to look at these real estate investors as opportunists, their arrival will produce a number of positive benefits for our community. Hurricane Ian’s Silver Lining For the thousands who have lost loved ones, their homes, or their livelihoods in the wake of Hurricane Ian, it may be difficult to believe that there is a silver lining to the storm’s impact. However, one does exist. Most Floridians are aware of the building code changes that occurred after Hurricane Andrew in 1992.  Buildings that were constructed prior to Andrew were built to lower requirements for elevation and construction durability. However, numerous changes at the municipal level, as well as the 2002 Florida Building Codes, have made new construction much safer and more hurricane-resistant. Many of our coastal high hazard areas like Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Captiva and Pine Island,  held a disproportionate number of older buildings, constructed before the Florida Building Codes were enacted.  These structures were simply not designed to withstand the level of force that Hurricane Ian brought, and many were destroyed or damaged irreparably.  However, as investors replace this old building stock with new properties, our market’s inventory will be replaced with higher quality, more durable buildings at higher elevations. Better-constructed communities will produce positive impacts on property values and municipal revenues. In turn, this will allow for improvements to infrastructure like roads, bridges, parks and other municipal investments. We’ve seen this cycle happen before. After Hurricane Charley devastated Punta Gorda, the community experienced a renaissance of commercial revitalization along the Peace River that continues to this day. Newer, stronger buildings in our region will also have another positive impact. Our state’s property insurance woes are well-documented. Currently, insurance companies balk to issue policies to those in high-risk areas, and the available policies typically charge extraordinarily high premiums.  However, as the quality of our state and region’s building stock improves over time, the risk of insuring properties in our state becomes lower, and the average cost of a property