Silicon Valley's Office, R&D Markets Off to Slow Start in 2019

According to Cushman & Wakefield's latest Silicon Valley's Office and R&D sector report, Silicon Valley's tech space is off to a sluggish start in 2019, after having combined for a robust 2.85 million square feet (msf) of occupancy growth in 2018 -- largely stemming from the office sector. While the office market did continue its growth trend reporting another 269,000 so of positive net absorption in the first quarter, the R&D sector finished with a negative 265,000 sf, leading to a virtual wash between the two sectors. Notably, both sectors maintain very healthy single-digit vacancies coupled with rent growth, while demand remains strong.

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REcolorado and SkySlope Join Forces to Streamline Real Estate Transaction Management

REcolorado | September 28, 2023

Today, in partnership with proptech leader SkySlope, Colorado’s largest real estate multiple listing service, REcolorado, announced they will co-develop an innovative product called Offer Insights. Scheduled to be released first to REcolorado subscribers in early 2024, Offer Insights harnesses the power of machine learning and market data to alert agents of opportunities and potential errors as they are completing real estate forms. This feature streamlines processes and boosts compliance by delivering market-aware suggestions to agents, using real-time data to signal when any information entered on a form falls above or below accepted industry standards. “When co-developing Offer Insights, we wanted to improve compliance, but we also wanted to provide REcolorado subscribers with essential market visibility,” said SkySlope CEO Tyler Smith. “Offer Insights will provide key indicators of what’s happening in the local market. Agents who use it will have access to beneficial information that’s not available anywhere else.” REcolorado is dedicated to engaging with their subscribers to gain a true understanding of their ever-evolving needs, which gives the company the ability to develop technological solutions that address those needs while also advancing the industry. By participating in co-development partnerships like this, REcolorado’s expertise can be leveraged to build meaningful solutions that give brokers and agents the ability to serve their clients as a trusted advisor. “Our subscribers trust us to listen and understand their needs so we can deliver the data, services, and insights that can be used to serve their clients and advance their businesses,” explains REcolorado President and CEO Gene Millman. “With their ability to transform data into powerful solutions that help brokers and agents work efficiently by making transactions move more smoothly, SkySlope is an ideal partner for us.” The REcolorado-SkySlope partnership underscores the ongoing movement among MLSs to evolve their services. By embracing collaboration with technology partners and brokerage leaders, MLSs are identifying agent pain points and actively participating in the development of tech-forward solutions that empower their subscribers to serve their clients efficiently and effectively. “This strategic partnership will develop a service that keeps our subscribers’ needs squarely in focus,” said Millman. “These types of collaborations are essential to creating innovations that will give agents a competitive advantage as the industry shifts.” Additionally, REcolorado will soon be launching two SkySlope signature solutions, SkySlope Offers and SkySlope Forms, to over 26,000 Colorado real estate professionals. Designed to bring time-saving automation to real estate transactions, these solutions significantly reduce administrative tasks for agents. About REcolorado REcolorado is the largest Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in Colorado with over 26,000 professional subscribers who operate throughout the state. Recipient of Inman’s 2023 Innovator Award in the MLS, Association, or Industry category, REcolorado's vision is to empower a trusted, cooperative, and comprehensive real estate marketplace to position customers for success by providing data, technology, and intelligence. The company is REALTOR® owned and serves real estate professionals including the members of Denver Metro Association of REALTORS®, South Metro Denver REALTOR® Association, Mountain Metro Association of REALTORS®, REALTORS® of Central Colorado, and Steamboat Springs Board of REALTORS. About SkySlope Established in 2011, SkySlope is the customer experience platform managing real estate transactions from contract to close. Serving over 650,000 real estate professionals across the U.S. and Canada, SkySlope manages nearly 3 million transactions annually. SkySlope is on a mission to build solutions that reshape the real estate industry by creating the most powerful autonomous transaction platform. For more information, visit SkySlope.

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Barings and Foulger Pratt Close Acquisition of $50+ Million Build-to-Rent Community in Raleigh, NC

Business Wire | October 19, 2023

Barings, one of the world’s largest diversified real estate investment managers, today announced its joint venture with Foulger Pratt to acquire a 172-unit build-to-rent (BTR) community in the Raleigh, N.C. metropolitan area. The $50+ million acquisition marks Barings’ entrance into the BTR market and builds on the firm’s $12.5+ billion* U.S. real estate equity platform. The transaction brings Foulger Pratt’s BTR portfolio to 700 homes and approximately $250 million in investment across North Carolina and Maryland. “We believe build-to-rent is one of the fastest growing segments of the housing market given demographic trends, evolving consumer preferences, and a national housing shortage,” said Joe Gorin, Barings’ Head of U.S. Real Estate Equity. “We are excited to partner with the well-established team at Foulger Pratt on our first BTR acquisition and look forward to deploying more capital into attractively priced assets as we scale our capabilities in this segment.” “Foulger Pratt is excited to continue its investment in the Carolinas through the delivery of quality rental housing in partnership with Barings – one of the world’s leading investment managers,” said Cameron Pratt, Chief Executive Officer of Foulger Pratt. The community will consist of 89 townhomes and 83 single-family detached units situated on 39 acres in Wendell, N.C. – just east of Raleigh. The initial deliveries of homes are expected to be available for lease in H1 2024. “We anticipate strong job, population, and household growth in this emerging submarket and believe this property will be well-positioned to offer an affordable rent alternative, a high quality of life, as well as easy access to key employment centers and top-tier universities,” said Kevin Miller, Barings’ Head of Real Estate Acquisitions, Eastern U.S. Barings has been investing in U.S. real estate equity for nearly 30 years and today has $35.5 billion* in U.S. real estate AUM across equity and debt, with nearly 130 dedicated real estate investment professionals across six U.S. offices managing more than 550 assets.

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TurboTenant launches feature leveraging artificial intelligence to write rental property listings

PR News Wire | August 31, 2023

As the race to maximize AI across nearly every industry continues, TurboTenant, the leading all-in-one landlord software, recently launched a feature that harnesses AI to allow landlords to craft their rental listings. Powered by OpenAI, this new tool simplifies one of rental property management's most significant challenges. When landlords enter basic property information, TurboTenant's AI Property Description personalizes a captivating listing description in less than five seconds. Leveraging open-source data to pull in unique qualities that appeal to today's renters, the AI professionalizes listing descriptions and streamlines the marketing process to find quality tenants. Plus, this AI is trained to comply with the Fair Housing Act — a major win for landlords everywhere. "Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT are like magic. You ask AI to do something, and the tool easily completes your task," said Max O'Rourke, Senior Product Manager at TurboTenant. "That's a big reason we built the AI Property Description feature with OpenAI — we want our landlords to feel like magicians when they create a new listing." The free AI Property Description feature is the latest update to TurboTenant's versatile rental property management platform. Listings are a landlord's first chance to catch potential tenants' eyes, and this latest feature simplifies the process significantly. According to a recent Forbes Advisory survey, over 64% of businesses report AI increases their productivity. AI Property Description is just one of the many features TurboTenant has launched to streamline, professionalize, and simplify the administrative side of being a landlord. "Harnessing the power of AI for property description and listing title generation is just the tip of the iceberg," said O'Rourke. "Building a feature like this is just another example of TurboTenant's commitment to innovation and better serving our users." About TurboTenant Built by landlords for landlords, TurboTenant empowers independent property managers at every step of the rental process. More than 550,000 independent landlords nationwide enjoy TurboTenant's free, all-in-one online property management solutions. Features offered by TurboTenant include rental applications, tenant screening, property marketing, rent payments, lease agreements, and rent reporting.

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