Business
The warehouse real estate sector is seeing a rebalance. Here’s what to watch for
A large industrial warehouse features rows of shelves stacked with packages, while two workers in safety gear are walking and inspecting the storage. Utilized space exemplifies efficiency and systematic inventory management.
Witthaya Prasongsin | Moment | Getty Images
A version of this article first appeared in the CNBC Property Play newsletter with Diana Olick. Property Play covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, from individuals to venture capitalists, private equity funds, family offices, institutional investors and large public companies. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox.
After a pandemic-driven surge, and a subsequent pullback, warehouse real estate supply and demand is finally starting to come into balance and showing new signs of life.
E-commerce, which was the primary driver of the recent boom cycle, certainly hasn’t gone away, but more people are returning to brick and mortar. Warehouse tenants are now more focused on efficiency, power and location than they are on square footage.
New development has slowed down, and federal policies are pushing onshoring of manufacturing, which helps the sector counter still-high interest rates and economic uncertainty. Rent increases are no longer as steep as they were a few years ago, and in some markets they are actually falling slightly due to oversupply.
“Industrial property rents are showing signs of stabilization, indicating a more balanced market environment,” said Judy Guarino, managing director of commercial mortgage lending at JPMorgan Chase, in a note to investors.
Here’s what to watch for in warehouses in 2026.
Big-box
The big-box subsector refers to large, modern distribution and warehouse facilities that serve as hubs for logistics, storage and e-commerce fulfillment. It makes up about a quarter of the total industrial warehouse space in the U.S.
Vacancies are close to cyclical peaks and new construction is contracting, according to industry data. In the first half of this year, new supply still outpaced new demand, but the gap shrank, according to new research from Colliers. Third-party logistics firms, including delivery services such as Ryder and DHL moving goods on behalf of a client, are leading that demand.
“The third-quarter demand has far exceeded the entire first half of the year, which is another really strong indicator that the supply and demand is starting to get more into a balanced state,” said Stephanie Rodriguez, national director of industrial services at Colliers.
Across the 20 largest markets, the overall big-box vacancy rate rose 19 basis points to 11% during the first half of the year, according to Colliers. New supply totaled 48 million square feet in the first half of 2025, much less than the 330 million square feet completed at the height of the cycle in 2023. Rents are expected to stabilize in the near term before starting to grow again.
Big-box is a major segment of the overall warehouse real estate market, particularly driven by demand from online retailers and companies seeking efficient supply chain operations. Recent economic and tariff policies have definitely shaken that demand, but as those policies settle, more demand could return. Lower interest rates would be another driver.
Supply chain
Supply chain, which relies heavily on warehouse real estate, is also seeing something of a transformation that could increase demand. In a report titled “Bold Predictions for 2026,” Prologis, the world’s largest logistics real estate company, cited specific supply chain trends to watch, including forecasts that:
- E-commerce companies will make up nearly 25% of new leasing next year as the proportion of goods sold online rises to almost 20% globally by year-end.
- The need for power-ready logistics facilities capable of supporting automation and manufacturing will be a top-three factor globally in location selection.
- Defense-related demand in the U.S. and Europe will breathe new life into older industrial corridors and produce a new class of specialized logistics assets.
- Shrinking trucking capacity will drive double-digit rate hikes in 2026, making transportation an even larger share of total supply chain spend and amplifying the value of well-located logistics real estate.
Power
Power is emerging as a leading driver across real estate portfolios. Beyond the usual narrative of e-commerce and the data center sector, power availability and network densification are becoming important pricing catalysts, according to a recent report from Hines, a global real estate investment manager.
“While re/near-shoring demand continues to pick up speed, albeit slowly and with somewhat uneven impact, opportunity also lies in power-advantaged infill assets that support faster and denser networks; where distance once drove advantage, closeness now creates it,” according to the Hines report.
Reshoring
Further research from Hines shows that warehouse net absorption has correlated to manufacturing construction spend.
“This trend highlights another potential source of demand not only for industrial manufacturing facilities, but for the warehouse subsector as well,” according to its report, which predicts reshoring alone could increase overall warehouse demand over the next five years by roughly 35%.
“Despite the volatility in the macroeconomic landscape, driven by interest rate and trade policy uncertainties, industrial properties near ports remain vital,” Guarino said. “Tariffs may lead to higher costs and supply chain challenges, but these locations are key to maintaining supply chain resilience and adapting to trade shifts.”
Proximity
One example of the proximity advantage: Amazon. Its logistics real estate strategy mirrors a broader national trend, prioritizing efficiency, automation and consumer proximity over sheer scale, according to a note from CoStar.
“It’s an interesting inflection point for industrial developers and REITs that rode the pandemic-era boom,” wrote Juan Arias, CoStar Group’s national director of industrial analytics.
Arias highlighted a leasing slowdown, noting that this year Amazon has occupied just 61 logistics properties, down from 100 in 2024 and as many as 300 in recent years. Its demand for larger footprint facilities hit a seven-year low, but it is still drawn to newer, taller buildings, with an emphasis on modern, efficient distribution centers, Arias said.
AI
As with everything else, artificial intelligence and property technology are making an imprint on the warehouse sector as well. They are helping owners and operators to analyze supply chains, traffic patterns and data more efficiently — particularly important in identifying potential warehouse locations. They are also helping to manage inventory and predict maintenance needs, both of which reduce costs.
The UK must not “cut ourselves off” from trade opportunities in China despite security and business risks, the head of the Confederation for British Industry has warned.
CBI chief Rain Newton-Smith highlighted that British businesses see increased trade with Chinese firms as an opportunity to drive growth.
Her remarks came as business leaders were questioned by MPs on Parliament’s Business and Trade Select Committee regarding the UK’s economic relationship with China.
Last December, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer admitted China poses security threats to the UK but urged for greater business ties.
Ms Newton-Smith, chief executive of one of the UK’s largest business groups, was positive about the Government’s engagement with China.
“You can’t have a growth strategy without a strategy for China,” she said.
“China has the biggest contribution to global growth, is the third largest trading partner, and the world’s largest consumer market.
“The UK is second largest exporter of trade and services.
“We are mindful as all businesses are of security risks but it is really important that we have a strategy towards China.
“This Government has increased the economic engagement with China and including business within this does help us as a country.”
She added: “If we think about the future economy, there is a huge market in China and I think we mustn’t cut ourselves off from some of the opportunities there, even if in some areas there are difficult conversations and negotiations that need to be had.”
Peter Burnett, chief executive of the China-Britain Business Council, told the committee: “There are risks associated with technology advancement, AI, industrial development that they need to assess.
“Increasingly you will find them saying that they need to engage more in China to understand those risks and to develop some of the technologies along some of those risks themselves.”
Business
Trump says he’d be disappointed if Fed pick doesn’t cut rates; Warsh vows to be ‘independent actor’ – The Times of India
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would be disappointed if his nominee for Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, does not cut interest rates right away after taking office if confirmed by the Senate. Trump, during an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” also said “we have to find out” about the construction costs of the new Federal Reserve building.Warsh, a former Federal Reserve official and financier, is currently facing Senate confirmation hearings where he has stressed his independence from political pressure.“The president never once asked me to commit to any particular interest rate decision, and nor would I agree to it if he had,” Kevin Warsh said under questioning by the Senate Banking Committee, as quoted by LA Times. “I will be an independent actor if confirmed as chair of the Federal Reserve.”Warsh told lawmakers that fighting inflation would be one of his main priorities if confirmed.“Congress tasked the Fed with the mission to ensure price stability, without excuse or equivocation, argument or anguish,” Warsh said. “Inflation is a choice, and the Fed must take responsibility for it.”The comments come as investors closely watch his confirmation hearing, with inflation remaining at 3.3% annually and global tensions, including the war in Iran pushing up gas prices, adding pressure on the economy. Higher inflation typically leads the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates steady or raise them rather than cut them, as rate changes affect mortgages, auto loans, and business borrowing.Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee accused Warsh of shifting his stance on interest rates over time, supporting higher rates under Democratic presidents and lower rates during Trump’s presidency.Warsh, if confirmed, would take over at a time when inflation pressures make it difficult for the Federal Reserve to cut rates, even as Trump continues to push for lower borrowing costs. Trump has repeatedly urged rate cuts and has long clashed with current Fed chair Jerome Powell over monetary policy. Powell has also been the subject of a Department of Justice criminal probe after refusing Trump’s requests for faster rate cuts. Trump told CNBC that he does not plan to pressure the Justice Department to end that probe.
The consultancy Teneo says airspace restrictions caused by the conflict have forced airlines to reroute many flights.
Source link
Ranking the Top 20 Players in the Men’s College Basketball Transfer Portal
NATO jets intercept Russian bombers over Baltic Sea
FIFA to put more World Cup tickets on sale for all games
-
Fashion5 days agoFrance’s LVMH Q1 revenue falls 6%, shows resilience amid Iran war
-
Sports1 week agoThe case for Man United’s Fernandes as Premier League’s best
-
Entertainment1 week agoPalace left in shock as Prince William cancels grand ceremony
-
Business1 week agoUK could adopt EU single market rules under new legislation
-
Entertainment6 days agoIs Claude down? Here’s why users are seeing errors
-
Fashion1 week agoEnergy emerges as biggest cost driver in textile margins
-
Business1 week agoDelta Air Lines unveils first new Delta One suite in premium cabin arms race
-
Fashion1 week agoAsia claims largest share of markets on Kearney FDI Confidence Index