One year after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the Chicago-area industrial market’s vacancy and rental rates have nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report from Newmark.
Although the industrial sector took a hit in the first few weeks of the crisis, it began climbing back once the shock wore off and tenants saw increased demand from homebound consumers purchasing goods online. Many resumed signing leases, sending vacancy down to 6.2% in Q1 2021, a decade low, and recently have shown a willingness to pay more for space. Courtesy of Newmark
“This sentiment of only a slight dip in the market as opposed to a full long-term stop is reflected in the rental rates on transactions completed during the pandemic,” according to the Newmark report.