SAN FRANCISCO-The San Francisco and Oakland apartment markets are nearing the bottom of the cycle, as new supply is down dramatically in 2003 and the local job markets will begin to register gains by year's end, according to the regional manager of Marcus & Millichap's San Francisco office.

LONDON-Slough Estates has dismissed as premature reports of an imminent demerger of its pounds 620 million ($1 billion) portfolio of U.S. biotechnology parks.

MALDEN, MA-Forced Exposure is relocating its world headquarters from Somerville, MA with its lease of 219 Medford St., a single-story, 38,000-sf building. The deal is the largest lease transaction in this city this year.

RICHARDSON, TX-The Dallas-based Portshire Corp. and Chicago investors jumpstart the buying with a 206,860-sf deed in the Telecom Corridor. Granite Properties, which seized the building in early April, stays on site as property manager and leasing agent.