Industrial Is Passing the Distress Test

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NEW YORK CITY—More than $700 million worth of industrial properties fell into trouble in February, increasing the total outstanding distress to $6.8 billion by the end of March, according to the latest Real Capital Analytics figures. Workout activity of just $58 million did little to offset the second largest monthly increase this cycle in distress inventory for industrial property.

But the sector is still faring considerably better than other asset classes—with office, retail, apartment and hotels posting distress figures between $25 billion and $33 billion. What’s more, industrial accounts for only around 5% of outstanding CMBS balances. The sector’s strength is due largely to a lack of hot money in the market during real estate’s mid-2000s heyday and a willingness to work through troubled loans. But it’s also left investors cooling their heels on the curb with few purchasing prospects.