Brian Gordon Activity Quotations

Stable demand and rising land values have placed upward pressure on pricing resulting in a 14.4 percent increase in average asking rates in only six months. With robust sales activity and mom-and-pop operators seeking expansion opportunities, we believe there is room for additional increases in newly constructed retail centers.

Through the first half of 2005, supply and demand has remained in relatively stable balance. However, compared to historical activity levels, the amount of space completed this year has been somewhat modest, but we expect the pace to quicken during the second half of this year.

There's a lot of speculation and a lot of investment activity going on in the vacant land market here and that drives prices north. There's concern over the lack of developable land so they're willing to pay premiums. Residential developers are looking to acquire as much land as they can to feed their pipeline for future development.

From a development standpoint, the perceptions of the market are as important as the economics, and any activity to promote the industry is probably important to alleviate market concerns.