Ryan Kratz, president of Colliers International Tampa Bay, Central Florida ad Southwest Florida

ORLANDO—Central Florida is seeing strong commercial real estate activity across all sectors. But where's the innovation?

GlobeSt.com caught up with Ryan Kratz, president of Colliers International Tampa Bay, Central Florida and Southwest Florida, to get some answers in part one of this exclusive interview. In the next installment, he'll share what's hot and what's not with lenders in the region.

GlobeSt.com: What are central Florida's most active areas?

Kratz: The regional market throughout Central Florida shows signs of strength in all sectors. Multifamily development and investment sales as well as retail leasing and investment sales appear to be among the strongest, followed closely by industrial, office, medical office, and residential land.

GlobeSt.com: What cutting-edge developments are you seeing in Central Florida?

Kratz: Central Florida is seeing some notable and innovative concepts in real estate. Office buildings are being renewed and refreshed to include modernized common areas, building-wide Wi-Fi, and cafes that more closely resemble a Starbucks than a deli.

In industrial, modern logistics is driving innovation. Modern warehouses are being built larger, taller, with ample trailer storage, and with significant accommodations for interior automation demanded by today's logistics tenants where speed and efficiency drives their business models.

In retail, the “retailing experience” is at the core of retail landlord's focus. Successful omni-channel retailing requires retailers to match the customer experience in the store, with the customer's experience online and in the catalogue, and even at the point of pickup.

Expect to see a continued tenant balance by retail landlords on “internet resilient” uses, including service office and medical uses in retail centers. Grocers will cater more and more to Millennial consumers' needs, including grocer-rants, in-grocery restaurant experiences for shoppers and diners.

Out-of-state investors are still entering Central Florida for the first time. Get all the details in my recent column.

ORLANDO—Central Florida is seeing strong commercial real estate activity across all sectors. But where's the innovation?

GlobeSt.com: What are central Florida's most active areas?

GlobeSt.com: What cutting-edge developments are you seeing in Central Florida?

Out-of-state investors are still entering Central Florida for the first time. Get all the details in my recent column.

Instant Insights /

Central Florida Seeing Notable, Innovative CRE Concepts

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