Looking ahead, the best investment opportunities are not necessarily in markets that command the highest rents, but rather in those emerging submarkets with plenty of runway left for growth. Investors are targeting emerging markets such as Culver City, downtown Los Angeles, and the Arts District that are well positioned to attract tenants seeking a value-oriented alternative to high rent districts such as Playa Vista.

GlobeSt.com: What types of tenants are you focusing on in your properties?

Lee: At our creative office campus in Culver City, our strategy is to attract a diverse range of creative, professional tenants in the digital media, entertainment, and technology industries, as well as ancillary service providers to these media giants. Since acquiring our Corporate Pointe office towers last May, we've added Ipsos Insight, a division of the third largest research firm in the world, and most recently Omnia Media, a subsidiary of Canadian media giant Blue Ant Media, one of the world's largest digital content producers and distributors.

A key focus of our investment strategy is to cultivate a high-quality tenant mix and environment that fosters innovation and collaboration. Our vision is to create an ecosystem of tenants that embody the creative energy of the Silicon Beach market.

We are also focused on targeting tenants seeking the best value in terms of high-quality creative workspaces. Tenants can lease more office space in the Culver City market for the same price as neighboring Santa Monica or Venice. Our office campus delivers a strong value proposition to tenants while also providing the creative environment today's millennial workforce is demanding. This enables us to continue to attract high quality tenants and maintain a high overall occupancy of 95 percent.

GlobeSt.com: As the office market continues to heat up in Los Angeles, how are you staying competitive to attract high-quality tenants?

Lee: As competition heats up in the office sector, we are investing in significant capital improvements and repositioning our office buildings to provide our tenants with the best value-oriented alternative to newer construction.

By investing in creative office build outs, for example, we are providing flexible workspaces that can support businesses throughout their entire life cycles. At Corporate Pointe, we're investing approximately $50 to $70 per square foot in renovations to reposition our office buildings into a collaborative work environment for creative tech tenants. As a result, we've been successful in maintaining high occupancies, which translates to stable cash flow and long term value.

Another strategy that we are currently utilizing to attract high-quality tenants is to offer competitive amenities. For example, we started bringing in food trucks to our Culver City office campus to provide our tenants with a variety of food options. By offering these additional amenities, we are helping our tenants increase employee retention and recruitment, which in turn allows us to bolster the overall stability of our asset and drive long-term value.

GlobeSt.com: How are you driving value in your properties both in the short and long term?

Lee: In the short term, we are currently in the process of redeveloping our Culver City property's central courtyard to create an indoor/outdoor gathering space for tenants. One of the unique selling points of this property is the outdoor amenity space, which is well positioned to be converted into a work/play area that adds to the asset's overall campus-like setting.

Today's tenants are placing a greater value on indoor/outdoor gathering spaces, which is driving demand for low-rise office buildings with easy access to the outdoors. This building's low-rise features enable it to remain competitive in attracting and retaining creative tenants, thereby adding stability and long-term property value.

We view all of our investments with a long-term focus, and utilize our fully integrated in-house property management platform to drive value through long-term hold periods. By working closely with our tenants and assessing their needs, we are able to ensure that our buildings are poised for future growth.

LOS ANGELES—Office owners are turning to creative office build outs to gain a competitive advantage in 2017. The office market closed with a bang at the end of 2016, and rents have climbed steadily since late 2012. With competition heating up in the Los Angeles office market, we sat down with Tim Lee, VP of corporate development and legal affairs at Olive Hill Group, to get an insider look at their office strategy for the year. The firm recently reached 100% occupancy at its creative office campus in Culver City with a lease to Omnia Media. In this exclusive interview, Lee says that creative office is the key to attracting the right tenants in this market.

GlobeSt.com: Where is the office market headed in 2017?

Tim Lee: The Los Angeles office market continues to demonstrate tremendous growth and revitalization. Overall fundamentals remain strong, with robust job growth, a strengthening local economy, and tenant demand for quality workspaces driving leasing activity in the year ahead.

Strong tenant demand is fueling a construction boom in select submarkets of Los Angeles, with over 2.4 million square feet of new office space slated for delivery this year and next, according to JLL. Compared to other markets, however, this development pipeline is relatively small, with high barriers-to-entry and development regulations restricting a huge amount of new construction. As a result, Los Angeles is not experiencing the same type of oversupply that will potentially impact other markets, making it poised for long-term growth in 2017 and beyond.

Looking ahead, the best investment opportunities are not necessarily in markets that command the highest rents, but rather in those emerging submarkets with plenty of runway left for growth. Investors are targeting emerging markets such as Culver City, downtown Los Angeles, and the Arts District that are well positioned to attract tenants seeking a value-oriented alternative to high rent districts such as Playa Vista.

GlobeSt.com: What types of tenants are you focusing on in your properties?

Lee: At our creative office campus in Culver City, our strategy is to attract a diverse range of creative, professional tenants in the digital media, entertainment, and technology industries, as well as ancillary service providers to these media giants. Since acquiring our Corporate Pointe office towers last May, we've added Ipsos Insight, a division of the third largest research firm in the world, and most recently Omnia Media, a subsidiary of Canadian media giant Blue Ant Media, one of the world's largest digital content producers and distributors.

A key focus of our investment strategy is to cultivate a high-quality tenant mix and environment that fosters innovation and collaboration. Our vision is to create an ecosystem of tenants that embody the creative energy of the Silicon Beach market.

We are also focused on targeting tenants seeking the best value in terms of high-quality creative workspaces. Tenants can lease more office space in the Culver City market for the same price as neighboring Santa Monica or Venice. Our office campus delivers a strong value proposition to tenants while also providing the creative environment today's millennial workforce is demanding. This enables us to continue to attract high quality tenants and maintain a high overall occupancy of 95 percent.

GlobeSt.com: As the office market continues to heat up in Los Angeles, how are you staying competitive to attract high-quality tenants?

Lee: As competition heats up in the office sector, we are investing in significant capital improvements and repositioning our office buildings to provide our tenants with the best value-oriented alternative to newer construction.

By investing in creative office build outs, for example, we are providing flexible workspaces that can support businesses throughout their entire life cycles. At Corporate Pointe, we're investing approximately $50 to $70 per square foot in renovations to reposition our office buildings into a collaborative work environment for creative tech tenants. As a result, we've been successful in maintaining high occupancies, which translates to stable cash flow and long term value.

Another strategy that we are currently utilizing to attract high-quality tenants is to offer competitive amenities. For example, we started bringing in food trucks to our Culver City office campus to provide our tenants with a variety of food options. By offering these additional amenities, we are helping our tenants increase employee retention and recruitment, which in turn allows us to bolster the overall stability of our asset and drive long-term value.

GlobeSt.com: How are you driving value in your properties both in the short and long term?

Lee: In the short term, we are currently in the process of redeveloping our Culver City property's central courtyard to create an indoor/outdoor gathering space for tenants. One of the unique selling points of this property is the outdoor amenity space, which is well positioned to be converted into a work/play area that adds to the asset's overall campus-like setting.

Today's tenants are placing a greater value on indoor/outdoor gathering spaces, which is driving demand for low-rise office buildings with easy access to the outdoors. This building's low-rise features enable it to remain competitive in attracting and retaining creative tenants, thereby adding stability and long-term property value.

We view all of our investments with a long-term focus, and utilize our fully integrated in-house property management platform to drive value through long-term hold periods. By working closely with our tenants and assessing their needs, we are able to ensure that our buildings are poised for future growth.