CBRE report: New Jersey industrial market is red hot

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The New Jersey industrial market once again demonstrated outstanding fundamentals in the first quarter of 2019 with across-the-board
improvement in both year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter metrics, according to CBRE.

Reflecting that strength was a more than 3 percent rise in the average asking lease rate to a new high of $7.25 per sq. ft.

“The industrial market in New Jersey continued to stand out as one of the hottest and most active markets in the country,” said William Waxman, executive vice president, CBRE. “The influx of e-commerce and logistics users continued unabated during the first quarter, a trend that is sure to remain given New Jersey’s ideal location in the Northeast, strong market fundamentals and highly qualified labor pool.”

The availability rate ended the first quarter at 6.4 percent, 20 basis points below the previous quarter and 40 bps down from the first quarter of 2018. Leasing activity continued to be robust, with 6.9 million square feet of new transactions registered during the quarter — an increase of 750,000 square feet, or 12 percent, over fourth quarter 2018.

Net absorption, at 4.5 million square feet, posted the third-highest quarterly total in the past five years and the best first quarter of all time since CBRE began tracking these metrics.

The first quarter ended with 19 developments under construction, totaling 5.8 million square feet. Additionally, 10 buildings were completed during the quarter, which added 3.3 million square feet to the inventory.