32 commercial real estate sites you should be familiar with

Great Post from ROFO Blog

For anyone in CRE or considering getting into CRE, you should become familiar with the following sites:

ROFO- putting business and available space together. This site was honored with a Webby Award. This IS the future of commercial real estate online.

Arcestra- is a revolutionary 3D visualization and marketing online service that helps lease commercial real estate quickly. Did I say THIS is the future of commercial real estate?

Creopoint.com- they say 1) rapid access to businesses and experts 2) improved digital branding 3) wants/haves and corresponding invitations to network 4) member viewpoints and forums 5) CRE news aggregated from around the globe 6) industry-focused search to avoid clutter.  I say #1 worldwide commercial real estate network?

Mos Atlanta- the best personal commercial real estate agent blog out today. Period.

Argussoftware- the best software in commercial real estate for property management, asset valuation, portfolio management, budgeting, forecasting, reporting and lease management.

Loopnet- iPhone search app. One of the first.

Zstrata- commercial real estate CRM.

Space for lease- well… space for lease.

OSCRE- commercial real estate data standards. But, is it working?

Intelligent buildings- look in the library section. Great white paper intelligence.

Realcretv- commercial real estate TV. Yes ,yes, yes but, will anyone watch?

Green building law blog- just cool content.

Transaction data and analytics- if you are big time, this is a must have.

Real estate investing news watch- real estate investment blog and news aggregator. Great info.

Realcomm- commercial real estate corp., commercial real estate tech and automation.  A must attend event.

Core Net Global- big time corp. global association.

Green exam prep- LEED training classes. Green is gold. I can’t believe I still use that line.

CPExecutive- commercial real estate executive news. Here are the hitters and this is what they read.

Crew Crew Crew- commercial real estate women… love the ladies.

Real Estate Forum Magazine- hardcore corporate, but a must read.

Realcorner- I still think I’m banned or blocked or something.

Visual Lease- leasing software. Just stunning.

Google Sketch Up-  3D buildings. Still fun and cool to play with, but also practical.

Chain Links- retail leasing group.

Property Week- from the UK. Commercial real estate, best site over all.

Multi-family Insiders- the name says it all.

Investor Loft- investor database.

REIS- commercial real estate property stats and data.

Biggerpockets.com- 50,000 members and growing.

CCIM- the best Commercial Real Estate education, period.

Urban Land Institute- best overall commercial real estate organization.

Retail Traffic- design, development, retail, finance. Kick ass blog too.

Commercial Real Estate News Toronto – August 2010

The market has been busy for me over August.  I didn’t get to take a holiday!  If you would like additional information on the Toronto commercial real estate market reach out to me.

Artis REIT targets expansion in Toronto area – Artis REIT

Artis REIT is moving east, buying C$116.5 million ($114 million) worth of Toronto real estate after years of focusing nearly exclusively on Western Canada. Winnipeg, Manitoba-based Artis is part of a wave of Canadian real estate investment trusts targeting acquisitions this year, betting on Canada’s economic recovery and renewed demand for office space.

Reuters Wed Aug 04 2010 – Canada News Wire – Globe and Mail

Whiterock REIT’s Q2 operating profits rise – Whiterock REIT – WRK.UN-T

Whiterock REIT, a Toronto-based property owner, reports its operating profits in the second quarter rose to nearly $9.6 million from $9 million. The company said Tuesday its funds from operations, a widely used measure that reflects the financial health of publicly traded real estate companies, jumped to just over $6 million or 41 cents a diluted unit from $3.4 million or 39 cents.

Winnipeg Free Press Wed Aug 04 2010 – Canada News Wire

TREB Commercial REALTORS® Report Monthly Commercial Figures

In July, TREB Commercial Members reported 724,590 square feet of leased space – a 132 per cent increase from the 312,771 square feet of leased space recorded in July of 2009. By category, TREB Commercial Members leased 644,830 square feet of industrial space, up 176 per cent over last July’s total of 233,342 square feet. In addition, they leased 47,406 square feet of commercial space, up 20 per cent over July 2009’s 39,575 figure.

Market Wire Mon Aug 09 2010

$3.5-million, 125 metre flagpole planned for North York

Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti and one of his struggling North York neighbourhoods are on the verge of building the tallest flagstaff in North America. The 125-metre pole would bear a Canadian flag the size of a football field. Mr. Mammoliti and the Emery Village BIA approved in May a one-time special levy that will see the BIA’s 2,500 business owners pay the full $3.5-million cost of the flagpole.

Globe and Mail Fri Aug 13 2010

HST has greater impact than interest rates, says survey

A survey conducted by Royal LePage Real Estate Services says that people in Ontario and B. C. have misconceptions about how the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) affects real estate transactions. When respondents were asked to provide examples of comments heard from buyers and sellers regarding the HST and its effect on the housing market, almost half of the comments indicated that confusion about HST remains more than one month after its introduction.

REM Online Mon Aug 16 2010

Commercial real estate rebounds in first half of 2010

The Canadian commercial real estate market rebounded sharply in the first half of 2010, with the value of deals increasing by 60 per cent as the debt markets recovered from the recession. CB Richard Ellis said in its Midyear National Investment Report that there were $7.8-billion of deals done from January to June, compared to $4.9-billion during the same period in 2009.

Globe and Mail Wed Aug 18 2010 – Financial Post – Market Wire

Office-Leasing Rebound Could Be Deceiving

Companies that sat on the sidelines during the darkest days of the economic downturn are increasingly making leasing commitments. In the 12 months that ended June 30, office tenants signed 161.3 million square feet in leases nationwide, according to Studley, a commercial real-estate brokerage firm. That is a 5.7% increase over the 12-month period ended in March.

Wall St. Journal Wed Aug 18 2010

Connect bike lanes through downtown, cyclist says

It’s a chance to finish an “incoherent patchwork” of bike lanes downtown, says a passionate cycling advocate, who is bringing a petition to do that to Toronto’s public works and infrastructure committee Wednesday. Alan Heisey wants city council to ensure there’s at least one more continuous north-south route between Bloor St. and the lake, and at least one complete east-west route south of Bloor St. for downtown cyclists.

Toronto Star Wed Aug 18 2010

Waterfront Toronto unveils plan for 1,700 condos, 2,400 jobs – Waterfront Toronto

Waterfront Toronto unveiled plans to build a massive $800 million neighbourhood Thursday. Developers have dubbed the new neighbourhood Bayside. Waterfront Toronto chose Hines, an American development company based in Houston, to build the project from a field of four finalists. Plans include 1,700 condominiums, office space for 2,400 jobs, a boardwalk and public access to a green roof overlooking the water.

Toronto Star Fri Aug 20 2010 – National Post – Globe and Mail

Combining the CNE and Ontario Place: Urban renewal on the lake

Once again we are about to experience the annual hand-wringing about the Ex: What will attendance be? Is it still relevant? And could this valuable site be better used? Coincidently, the province has just issued an RFI (Request for Expressions of Interest) seeking new ideas for its fading 39-year-old neighbour, Ontario Place.

Toronto Star Fri Aug 20 2010

Commercial real estate investment up in Toronto – Avison Young

Commercial real estate investment in Toronto in the first half of the year well exceeded its 2009 totals, new data from brokerage firm Avison Young shows, however the impact of the HST introduced in July remains to be seen. Overall investments in the Greater Toronto Area over the first six months of the year totalled $3.5-billion, more than double the $1.4-billion invested in the first half of 2009.

Financial Post Fri Aug 20 2010 – Canada News Wire

HST blamed for drop in sales across the country

Housing sales were down 30% in July from a year ago, and the Canadian Real Estate Association blames the drop on the new harmonized sales tax in Ontario and British Columbia. The Ottawa-based group, which represents 100 real estate boards across the country, said July sales fell 6.8% on a seasonally adjusted basis from the previous month, a decline “almost entirely the result of fewer sales in B.C. and Ontario.

Financial Post Sun Aug 22 2010

Goodbye office, hello ‘desk on demand’

Few rooms invite envy like your boss’s corner office. It has a desk that’s bigger than your cubicle, a great view and a nameplate on the door. The room is ridiculously big, and that’s the point – the extra space marks her status. One might expect a traditional hierarchy of offices at the Wellington St. W. offices of IBM, in the classic TD Waterhouse Tower.

Toronto Star Fri Aug 27 2010

TTC meets to discuss new head office

The Toronto Transit Commission will decide at a special meeting Friday whether to proceed with the lease of a new headquarters at Yonge St. and York Mills Rd. The new office space, being developed by Build Toronto, the city’s arm’s-length real estate corporation, would be located on TTC property and replace the transit agency’s Davisville headquarters.

Toronto Star Fri Aug 27 2010

Worldwide Parking Cost Report – Colliers International

And you thought Toronto was expensive… check out London!

Thinking of investing in commercial real estate?

The Canadian Press

Think again: the value of your business lies in profits, not assets.

“Commercial real estate is a different business. The fastest way to jeopardize your existing business is to get distracted by starting a second business.”

Full article – The Globe and Mail

Colliers Toronto Office Market Statistics – Q2 2010

Key findings of our most recent GTA Office Market Statistics are:

· GTA’s office vacancy remains fairly steady at 12.3 M SF or 6.6 percent of the current inventory, up less than 600,000 SF compared to the end of Q2 2009.

· The same holds true for GTA’s availability totaling 19.8 M SF or 10.6 % of the inventory at the end of Q2 2010. Compared to Q2 2009, sublease availability has decreased by 850,000 SF, now amounting to 3.4 M SF or 17 percent of the available space.

· Asking Net Rent averages out to $16.25 per SF, which is down nine percent from the value observed at the end of Q2 2009. The highest average asking net rent is continuously quoted in the Downtown market.

· Occupied space sums up to approximately 167 M SF or 90 percent of the current inventory. While occupied space is below Q2 2009 levels by approximately 400,000 SF, it is up nearly 500,000 SF compared to Q1 2010.

New website tracks historical buildings at risk

The description of the site states:

This website has been set up to help us learn what buildings, places and environments are under threat, at risk of demolition, change beyond recogition or neglect. It is a sort of “tip line” letting us and the world know that “this place matters”.

Great concept but unless someone is paid by the city to keep a site like this up to date I doubt it will be around for long.  Why doesn’t the government make info like this more accessible to Torontonians?

http://fastsmartgood.com/main

Green Roof Bylaw Set to Take Effect in Toronto

Things are about to get a lot greener around Toronto — well, at least when looking down from above. On January 31st, two environmental initiatives designed to foster a more sustainable urban landscape will take effect: a new Green Roof Bylaw and a tougher version of the Toronto Green Standard (TGS).

Full article

Finding Cheap Artwork For Your Office

Great list of sites to find office artwork.  Full article.

blockposters.com. Their site lets you create any size wall poster from any size image.

Overstock.com

Posters.com

Gallerydirect.com

Art.com

Poster Gods

Wholesaleartsframes.com

Wholesaleartmall.com

Postercheckout.com

Shared and Co-working office space advice

Found this video on http://openofficespace.com – worth a watch if you’re thinking of sharing office space.

HST Information

Found some great info on 680 news – have a look here.

• HST transition begins Saturday
• What is HST?
• What’s exempt?
• What’s taxable under the HST and what’s not?
• What’s taxable? Download a detailed fact sheet
• Will certain things cost more?
• Why are these changes happening now?
• FAQ
• Ontario renters to be shielded from rent hikes due to HST
• First Nations people protest at Queen’s Park over HST

I thought the creepiest one was this “Prepaid funerals if the contract is entered into in writing before July 1, 2010″ – should I sign up now as I know its inevitable.

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