Why is Commercial Real Estate Expensive?

What is Commercial Real Estate?

Properties in the form of restaurants, office establishments, and other business outlets are called commercial real estate. These are listed in different places and are put up on the lease, and people get it for a pre-decided term, and these places generate income for the near future and the long term future. Based on the income it generates over time, the price of the asset is determined. If the property is in a posh neighborhood and tenants pay on time, its overall value will increase when it is sold.

Reasons for Commercial Real Estate being Very Expensive

What is an all-in investment for a new enthusiast that can be just a small amount for an experienced investor? In all fairness, however, commercial property is expensive for several factors:

From the supply side, the availability of spaces that could be potentially turned into spaces for commercial real estate is low compared to places for other purposes. If you look into the developmental plans and floor plans of municipal authorities, the less availability of places is one of the reasons as to why the price of commercial land is skyrocketing.

• Usually, the best pieces of land are placed in the business districts of big cities with higher potential to generate revenue than other kinds of real estate, which drives the price of the land high.
• The competition for commercial land acquisition among investors is high because they realize such land is going to bring them greater returns than residential land. The demand for the land coupled with inadequate supply is also one of the reasons behind its high price.
• The cost required to maintain and the price paid for developmental additions to the municipal corporations is higher in commercial real estate. The bylaws are stricter concerning development procedures and are more expensive, which is why the project’s cost increases automatically.
• The trend observed in repute companies is how to shy away from buying commercial properties because of its price. They would instead prefer to take the property on lease and pay rentals. That would bring benefit to both parties as even the investor would have his long term future shored up because of steady rental inflow. This competition between multinational companies for places also booms up the price of commercial real estate.
• Any commercial property requires more initial cost than a residential property. They require a host of mechanisms that are not seen or used in a typical residential setting. Things like better sanitary systems and commercial-grade cooling systems need to be installed.
• From the perspective of a contractor, commercial real estate requires more detailing and effort to complete than a residential spot. They require extensive descriptive reports that need to be executed.

Classes of Commercial Real Estates

Commercial real estates can be categorized from Class A through D with different qualities of establishments.

• Class A denotes the newest establishments in the poshest areas where the demand for that kind of property is very high, and so is the square per feet price.
• Class B through D represents less recent establishments with decent and mediocre finishes and interiors in affordable areas.

How does Commercial Real Estate Yield Revenue

Rental

one way by which you can get back the money you spent is from tenants or multiple tenants on occupancy. If the Return On Investment is 20% more than the cost, maintenance, and miscellaneous costs, the revenue return is considered to be ideal. However, the real challenge in this is to make sure that every part of the property that can be occupied should be occupied, or else it represents a huge loss of income-earning capabilities for the investor.

Appreciation

The second way in which you can earn from your property is by value addition. Appreciation is the increase in the price of the property over some time. By the same logic, a property can also lose value or depreciate. If the external economic sources are in your favor, then the value will increase.

For example, if there is a genuine scarcity created for land resources in your locality, a customer will be willing to offer more price for a product of average price under normal circumstances.

The location also plays an important role. If your property is present in the city’s primary hub, the price will be higher than the properties in the tertiary zone.

Appreciation due to market forces is not the only way by which the price can be enhanced. In his capacity, the investor can take renovation projects and make fancy additions to decors to make the product more sellable.

Investing Strategies that can be Undertaken

• Rejuvenation of sick industrial units has been a tried and tested method over the years. Often people apprehend the potential of run-down industrial units and acquire the land at a low rate and wait for a resurgence. Once the neighborhood recovers, the investor can either sell the property at an appreciated value or continue earning enhanced rentals from multiple occupants. 
• A low-risk investment strategy would be to purchase commercial properties that are stable, self-supporting, and would require minimal upkeep by the investors. Properties with such an intrinsic value will provide a steady income, but also will grow at a limited pace through the term of the investment.
• A value add commercial property is a space that, in its current form, does not have much core value, but has potential once worked upon.  Completing major upgrades, renovating, reshaping management rules are some of the activities which can be undertaken to improve the market value of the property. With the right planning and execution, such properties can fetch an ROI of up to 20% on an annual basis.

As compared to residential real estate, commercial real estate properties do require a larger sum of money to be built in the first place. They are usually larger and are located at central locations across cities. Also, the condition of the economy plays a role in the market value of the property. A healthy economy will drive prices up and attract investors while an economic downturn will affect the prices negatively. Investing in a CRE is still considered as a high yielding investment opportunity, exercise due diligence before investing in one.