US Industrial Real Estate Investment Surge Highlights Top Markets

Industrial real estate in the United States continued to perform strongly despite broader macro‑economic headwinds. Rental rates rose 5.8% year‑to‑date through September, and vacancy rates fell to historic lows as demand for modern distribution space surged. CBRE reported more than $180 billion of industrial property transactions in the 12 months to September, a 31% increase from the prior period. The fastest‑growing markets included Lehigh Valley (1.5 B, 151.8% growth), Washington, D.C. (5.4 B, 139.9% growth), Columbus, Ohio, Orlando, and Chicago, among others.

In the broader U.S. capital‑markets context, CBRE data showed total commercial‑real‑estate investment of $150 billion in the first quarter of 2022, up 45% year‑over‑year, with multifamily attracting $57 billion. Lending activity remained robust, with the Lending Momentum Index rising 5.5% quarter‑over‑quarter and 69% annually, while CLO issuance reached $15.2 billion and CMBS $20.8 billion. However, recent Federal Reserve rate hikes of 75 basis points are expected to tighten liquidity and curb further growth.