Tag: CRE

The Benefits of Investing in Office Buildings

Posted on 04/27/23

Investing in the CRE-Office sector can offer an excellent opportunity to diversify one’s investment portfolio. A CRE office property is a hard, tangible asset which has historically performed well over time. When the opportunity presents itself and if the time is right for you, it is wise to engage the services of an experienced CRE agent who can help evaluate and develop an investment strategy that is suited specifically for your needs and goals. It is also advisable to engage your CPA and attorney for their expertise at some point in time as well.

There are two types of investors: owner/users who intend to occupy the purchased property and those who strategically invest for the income stream and future appreciation value.

OWNERS/USERS

If you are an owner/user, you have better control over occupancy costs as you can manage levelized mortgage loan payments and have more control over operating costs such as real estate taxes, building insurance costs, property management fees, and grounds and building maintenance expenses. This provides an advantage tenants cannot have as they are often subject to annual rent increases, escalating operating costs, and a fair rate of return added for the landlord.

INCOME-GENERATING INVESTORS

Others chose to invest in CRE office property assets as an alternative way to diversify their portfolio while at the same time building a steady reliable cash flow. This type of investment also provides tax-favored treatment such as depreciation and capital gains treatment when you sell. You may also defer your gains via a 1031 tax deferred exchange by rolling your gains into a like-kind property when you sell. The 1031 tax deferred exchange has specific rules which one’s CPA can assist in analyzing for you. Read more about 1031 Exchanges by clicking here.

Both scenarios are considered excellent diversification strategies that may allow investors to achieve an attractive rate of return that can continue to grow over time, as well as the opportunity to sell and realize a gain resulting in a more favorable capital gains tax rate treatment than that of an ordinary income tax rate. And one doesn’t need to start with a large investment. You may decide to invest as a sole owner of a small property or as a partner/member of a larger entity. The latter provides the advantage of spreading out your risks, as a larger property likely has more tenants, which means if a tenant vacates a space, it is less impactful than losing a tenant in a smaller building with a single or very few tenants.

And last but certainly not least, investing in the CRE office sector provides another incalculable benefit: the pride of ownership!

As with any investment opportunity, risks are involved. This is why it is important to work with a professional commercial real estate broker who understands the market and can help you identify and carefully evaluate any potential investment opportunity to ensure that it aligns with your goals and risk tolerance. With the right approach, investing in office buildings can be a great way to build long-term wealth and generate passive income.

Bill Puddephatt, CCIM

Bill Puddephatt, a distinguished veteran of the Central Arkansas banking industry, made a seamless transition into the real estate brokerage field with Kelley Commercial Partners. With a remarkable career that included originating over $1 billion in loans without a single loss, Bill’s expertise in financing encompasses a wide range of real estate ventures, from office buildings to multi-family projects, hotels to subdivision developments. Renowned as a trusted advisor, he offers clients tailored solutions in the ever-changing realm of real estate.

Kelley Commercial Partners has an award-winning team of real estate professionals with the experience and knowledge to ensure you maximize your potential and reach your financial goals. Let us help you create a clear plan and provide the guidance you need to confidently move forward. Contact us today or click the links below to learn about current office property investment opportunities in Central Arkansas.

Office Building Investment Opportunities

1900 Malvern Ave, Hot Springs

212 Center St, Little Rock

720 W 3rd St, Little Rock

4 Shackleford Plaza, Little Rock

5414 Landers Rd, Sherwood

Rising Interest Rates Present Opportunities for Commercial Real Estate Investors

Posted on 12/27/22

When interest rates rise, it can potentially make borrowing more expensive for commercial real estate investors. This may lead some investors to shift their focus to properties that have stable, long-term cash flow, as these properties may be able to generate enough income to offset the higher borrowing costs. However, rising interest rates can also create opportunities for certain types of investments.

One potential opportunity for commercial real estate investors when interest rates rise is to focus on investments that are relatively insensitive to changes in borrowing costs. For example, properties with long-term leases or properties that have stable, predictable cash flows may be less affected by rising interest rates.

Another option for commercial real estate investors is to invest in properties with strong demand, such as properties in high-growth areas or properties that are leased to creditworthy tenants. These properties may be able to command higher rents, which can help to offset the higher borrowing costs associated with rising interest rates.

Investors might also consider exploring alternative financing options, such as private lending or crowdfunding, which may offer more favorable terms than traditional bank financing.

Finally, commercial real estate investors might negotiate interest rate swaps or caps with their lenders, which can help to mitigate the impact of rising rates on their investment portfolio.

For nearly 40 years, Kelley Commercial Partners has helped provide clients with a competitive advantage. We have the knowledge and experience to help clients navigate through the ever-changing market. Whether you are new to the commercial real estate market or an experienced investor, we are here to help you meet your real estate goals. Contact us today.

Abby Turner Promoted to Assistant Property Manager

Posted on 04/27/22

Last May, Abby Turner interviewed with Kelley Commercial Partners for the position of tenant relations manager, and it didn’t take long for us to figure out that Abby would be a great addition to our team and a perfect fit for the job. Immediately following her graduation from Ouachita Baptist University, the Arkadelphia-native packed up and moved to the big city to start her new job in Arkansas’s tallest building. She would assist tenants of the three floors in Simmons Tower dedicated to executive suites: Level Two Executive Suites, 15th Floor Executive Suites, and the new Capital Center 12th Floor Executive Suites.

When Abby started, we had nearly completed the conversion of 19,100 square feet of office space on the 12^th floor to 50 executive suites. One month later, with Abby’s help, we began leasing the Capitol Center 12^th Floor Executive Suites, which is now 80 percent occupied.

As the tenant relations manager, Abby welcomed new tenants to executive suites on floors 2, 12, and 15 and made sure they had everything they needed to get right to work, but she didn’t stop there. Abby also helped coordinate the annual Christmas Tree Lighting celebration and established the very popular “Food Truck Tuesday,” which takes place every other Tuesday. She even brought in a trainer and a yoga instructor to teach classes in the gym on the second floor. And on top of all of that, she still finds time to manage Simmons Tower’s social media accounts. (Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.)

In less than a year, Abby was promoted to assistant property manager, and she has just earned her real estate license. She looks forward to planning more events for the Tower and reestablishing a sense of community for the building. She says meeting new tenants is her favorite part of the job, plus she says she really likes her KCP teammates. Really.

Abby, we are so pleased to have you on our team and congratulate you on your achievements so far. We really like having you on our team. Really.

Predictions about commercial real estate in Little Rock circa 2050

Posted on 11/04/21

In this month’s issue of the Arkansas Times, Hank Kelley shared his thoughts about what the commercial real estate industry will look like in 2050.

Hank Kelley, CEO

Connectivity

There is demand now — and will be in the future — for unique living and workspaces in multiple-story buildings so your space can be close to other residents and professionals, and to other recreational and educational uses. The way we “go to work” now will change over the next 30 years, and the need to have the same level of hard-wall separate office areas within a building will change. More emphasis will be placed on a building’s connectivity for virtual connections than exists today. Even today, mobile professionals regularly chart their destinations based on the connection to credible Wi-Fi. In 30 years, the need for high-quality connections will be a constant and core requirement.

The exterior of buildings will hopefully be a source of energy generation through advances in solar panel technology, but not at the expense of views within the spaces. More filtering will improve indoor air quality. Rooftop decks and balconies with sunscreen canopies will be the norm as people continue to want to be outdoors but become even more concerned about sun exposure.

Mixed-Use

I believe we will continue to see an evolution of larger office buildings to include a mixture in their uses. The cost of converting their use, though, will have to be feasible before developers will invest in the remodeling needed for conversion. The conversion of office buildings to residential and or hospitality (hotel) requires extensive plumbing and mechanical alterations, and those changes will only happen when adequate demand for those uses justifies the conversion cost. In the short run, we will see workspaces within the buildings compressed to more flexible work environments and, in some cases, with even more open floor spaces for cubicle and tabletop workspaces. Landlords will become more flexible on tenant expansion and contraction needs to retain their tenants and use the surplus space they have to attract growing businesses.

The office buildings and existing residential condo buildings in Little Rock’s Central Business District represent the highest density of population per mile in our city and region, and companies will continue to be attracted by the excellent accessibility to both I-30 and I-40. People who live in midrise and high-rise buildings in the Central Business District enjoy walkable amenities now — the Central Arkansas Library, the Robinson Center, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts — and we believe the demand for walkable amenities will grow over time.

“’Hoteling’ of office space and rotation of in-office and out-of-office workdays will become more of a norm.”

As regards trends toward remote working, we don’t believe the majority of companies will choose a completely remote workforce because of the challenges in maintaining the culture needed to compete. “Hoteling” of office space and rotation of in-office and out-of-office workdays will become more of a norm. We continue to believe there is value in the separation of workspace and living space. The networking component of “going to work” is now and will continue to be a valuable need for workers and companies.

Energy Efficiency

We will see great advances in products and technology to conserve and generate energy, water and land at both the individual user level, but also at the utility provider level. We are hopeful those advances will reduce operating costs and help preserve our natural resources. The office building industry has been active in conservation efforts through the LEED certification process. Maintaining buildings to operate at peak efficiency will become a requirement to own and operate a building, and utility providers will charge non-compliant building owners penalties for excessive consumption.

We expect that fewer people will own their own cars, meaning we will see less of a need for parking spaces.

Finally, inflation will increase interest rates on the debt and the cost of services to maintain existing buildings. Some building owners are not prepared for their debt and operating expenses to increase, as they have been trying to maintain current rent levels with tenants. This means less income is available to pay debt and reinvest in building upgrades needed to maintain an efficient and attractive building. The squeeze of increasing costs will challenge some building owners and cause a change in ownership if those owners don’t have adequate reserves. Tenants will seek out buildings with owners who have the financial resources and desire to reinvest in their properties.

Hank Kelley is CEO and Executive Broker at Kelley Commercial Partners, and has been working in brokerage and property management in Little Rock for 36 years.

Opportunity Zones: The Basics

Posted on 09/09/21

What are opportunity zones?

Opportunity zones were created by congress as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to spur economic growth in economically distressed communities. In April of 2018, Gov. Asa Hutchinson proposed 85 tracts around the state be designated as official Opportunity Zones in Arkansas. By December of that year, the US Department of the Treasury confirmed this proposal and all 85 tracts were designated as Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZs). There are more than 8,700 designated zones nationwide that provide tax incentives for private investment in low-income communities. Opportunity Zone properties around the state vary greatly. They include urban/downtown, industrial, suburban, and rural areas—but each QOZ shares the same need of a spur in economic growth and job creation. Click here to view an interactive map of opportunity zones in Arkansas.

How do they work?

Investors who wish to take advantage of this program have 180 days to reinvest any prior eligible capital gains into a Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF) and by doing so, they receive several tax incentives on those gains. The QOF is created to invest in an opportunity zone property with at least 90 percent of its assets dedicated to the QOZ. By reinvesting all or a portion of their gains into a QOF, the investor’s capital gains tax may be deferred until the sale of the QOZ investment or until December 31, 2026, whichever comes first. If the QOZ is held for five years, the investor will benefit from a 10% exclusion of the deferred gain; holding it for seven years will increase the exclusion to 15%. Investors who hold the QOZ for at least 10 years will eliminate paying a capital gains tax on appreciation of the QOZ property.

Who benefits?

Investors benefit from the preferential tax treatment while communities benefit from property improvements, job creation, and new businesses. Small businesses operating in the opportunity zone may also benefit with an equity investment from a QOF. There are requirements that must be met to qualify as an Opportunity Zone Business (QOZB), which are outlined in detail in the New Proposed Regulations.

The Opportunity Zones program is a unique and effective economic development tool and an important part of making our communities and neighborhoods stronger, safer, and more economically healthy. As Opportunity Zones grow and prosper, the communities around them reap the benefits, which in turn, benefits everyone.

Learn more:

IRS: Opportunity Zones

Arkansas Economic Opportunity Zones

The information provided here in is not to be construed or relied upon as legal or tax advice.