Competitive Buys In Growth Markets

SAN FRANCISCO—In preparation for next week’s RealShare Bay Area conference, GlobeSt.com caught up with a few more panelists to get their thoughts on the local market and what they will be discussing at the upcoming event. Panelist Alan Walker, VP of Swift Real Estate Partners, tells GlobeSt.com that “Macro-wise, the domestic economy continues to trudge along. I liken it to being halfway through a marathon—it may not feel great and you’re still a ways from your goal, but you are making forward progress.”

Walker tells GlobeSt.com that it’s no secret that tech and the related hiring is driving the growth in office occupancy, rents, and sales prices in certain markets. “The business plans for internet and mobile start-ups today are generally and measurably better than they were in 1999-2000 but that still doesn’t mean they are all outstanding,” he says. “As real estate professionals, we are not technology experts but we can see how these groups are behaving vis-a-vis leasing space and long-term planning and they seem to be much more thoughtful about it than during the dot com era.”