Despite falling rents for retail and office spaces, analysts are hopeful for a positive performance from this market segment in 2017.
Photo credit: www.marinaone.com.sg
The last quarter of 2016 saw office rents falling 1.8 per cent, bringing last year’s decline of rental prices to 8.2 per cent. Rents for retail spaces fell 1.2 per cent in Q4, bringing the total year’s decline to 8.3 per cent. Surprisingly, despite a weakening economy and competition from e-commerce, the demand for retail spaces have picked up. Analysts put the easing of pressure on the retail property market to the development of many flagship stores, large food and beverage clusters and gyms. New retail brands and concepts entering the market meant there were tenants willing to take up larger floor areas in prime spots. That said, almost 169,000 sq metres of retail space will become available this year, and there may still be challenges ahead for this sector.
Photo credit: www.duosingapore.com
In the office property front, following announcements of major tenancy deals such as Facebook taking up prime office spaces in Marina One and similarly Distrii, a co-working operator, at Republic Plaza, the market is beginning to stabilise. New and massive working spaces will however add to the inventory soon, taking Duo Tower in Bugis as an example. It was completed last month and has pushed office vacancy rates to 11.1 per cent. Moving ahead, property players are expecting office rents to continue softening at least for the first half of the year, though newer buildings such as Guoco Tower and Marina One have enjoyed positive take-up rates last year.
