"This is telling for the commercial real estate markets because institutional investors are risk adverse," Scott MacIntosh, senior economist with NAR tells GlobeSt.com. According to NAR, institutional investors spent $27 billion on commercial real estate by midyear. In comparison, they spent $19.5 billion by midyear 2005 and $8.5 billion in the first six months of 2004.

In second-tier markets like Cincinnati, Sacramento and Portland, institutional investment has accounted for 73% or slightly more of office sales volumes.  Institutional investment breakdown by markets tends to vary based on market and asset class. In cities like Washington, DC institutional investors account for only 40% of the sales volumes generated from office transactions in the first half of this year.
 
Institutional investors and private equity funds accounted for half of all office buildings purchased through July and one-third of all industrial real estate, according to NAR. To date this year, NAR reports institutional investors have spent more than $31 billion in all commercial sectors so far this year--a record for institutional investment in commercial-grade properties.

Edwina Baniqued