Because of the global spread of COVID-19, companies everywhere are facing an uncertain future. Coronavirus is hitting every industry in different ways, and it’s still too early to tell exactly what the long-term effects this virus will have on the economy going forward. The industrial real market is facing a particularly big obstacle as the development projects dry up. While it may feel like a dry period for the industrial real estate market, there are ways to navigate these uncertain times.

Arguably, the most visible sign of what President Trump calls this “invisible enemy” of COVID-19 is the rows of empty store shelves. What most consumers can’t see for all the missing bathroom tissue and white bread is the strain those shelves are putting on the supply chain. But corporate real estate managers, IAMC’s membership, see it, and they’re on the front lines of addressing the new--and hopefully temporary--normal. 

Real estate throughout the country is taking a huge hit as COVID-19 continues to spread around the globe. While we won’t fully know how deeply coronavirus will impact the industrial real estate market yet, there are small glimpses to how the demand for industrial real estate might change going forward. The spread of this virus is certainly an immediate, and hopefully short-term, threat to human and economic health, but there may be a long-term opportunity for the industrial real estate space to experience a period of growth.

Back in 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board promised to “upgrade” (to use its term) lease reporting standards, with the goal to “improve financial reporting about leasing transactions, and in so doing gain greater transparency for investors and other stakeholders.” IAMC members report that the upgrades did the trick, and transparency to investors has improved.

As an organization, IAMC fosters relationships that turn into both business partnerships and long-term friendships. The path to corporate real estate varies widely, and our members come from a variety of professional and personal backgrounds.

We thank Kristin Cahayla-Hoffman, Senior Real Estate Specialist, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., for sharing hers!