Level of Private Capital Interest in Portfolio is Surprising
A 27-property retail portfolio located in eight states in the Central US including 14 in Texas along with Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming was recently sold to a private buyer.
DALLAS—A rare multi-property opportunity turned some institutional heads recently, resulting in an undisclosed buyer purchasing the 27-property retail portfolio from Dallas-based Rainier Companies. The properties are located in eight states in the Central US including 14 in Texas, along with Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming.
The total portfolio included more than 677,979 square feet of retail space with a current combined occupancy rate of 92%. Michael Austry, first vice president with CBRE, and Jared Aubrey, senior vice president with CBRE, represented the seller in the transaction.
“A portfolio this size with steady income and numerous opportunities for rent increases and redevelopment is unheard of in today’s market,” said Austry.
A majority or 19 of the properties are single tenant and eight are multi-tenant with no more than three tenants. The average rent for the portfolio is $6.25 per square foot and $4.24 per square foot after expenses. The portfolio has performed at above 90% occupancy for more than 20 years.
“While the appeal for value-add investments is incredibly strong, the challenge with a portfolio of this size and complexity was articulating a plan to investors on how they could unlock value and increase returns,” said Aubrey.
The portfolio is a diverse mix of stable and Internet-resistant businesses including six grocery stores, five home improvement stores, three auto parts stores, three fitness centers, three dollar stores, two US post offices, one pharmacy and one gas station.
“We had a great deal of interest in this portfolio, which wasn’t unexpected given the tremendous upside potential, but we were somewhat surprised by the strong level of interest from private capital, institutions and international investors,” Austry tells GlobeSt.com. “This was a truly unique opportunity to acquire a portfolio that offered attractive current income as well as value-add opportunities significantly under replacement cost.”
Retail fundamentals remained strong in second quarter, with occupancy reaching a record high of 94.7%, according to a report by CBRE. Construction and absorption also saw slight increases this quarter, showing signs of strength mid-year.
Retail construction was up 18% this quarter with 2,66 million square feet of new retail space in development. Another indicator of the strength of the market: DFW gained approximately 132,000 new residents from 2017 to 2018, more than any other metro area in the nation, according to new data from the US Census Bureau.