6059 Cornerstone, San Diego, one of DeLorenzo and Stache's new listings

The West Coast CBRE team that covers the Southern California, Phoenix and Las Vegas region is getting deals done during the pandemic. The team has either closed or is in escrow on 16 deals totaling $194 million and more than 600,000 square feet. Most of these deals opened following stay at home orders in mid-March.

"The majority of interest is coming from 1031-exchange buyers that are looking to avoid tax implications, but not all deals fall into that," Anthony DeLorenzo, a broker at CBRE, tells GlobeSt.com. "Some are traditional investors that are looking to place capital in safe assets. Most assets we're selling don't have a lot of tenants, maybe one, two or three max. With those it's much easier to get your arms around the credit requirements. Generally speaking, assets with larger credit tenants are preferred."

There is no geographic pattern where investors are showing more demand or interest. The team has sold properties everywhere from Los Angeles to Palm Desert to Phoenix in the industrial and office asset classes; however, rent roll is becoming outweighing property location during negotiations. "Most of our investors are looking for five years plus, in terms of remaining lease obligations," says DeLorenzo. "With that, they feel comfortable that the asset and the income it produces can withstand the current turmoil. If you look at the volatility of the equity markets and compare it with the single-asset real estate market; the single-asset real estate market hasn't seen this type of disruption. So, quality assets with one or two credit tenants that have years left on their leases feels like a really smart and safe bet."