Commercial Real Estate Transaction Alert

SRS Real Estate Partners Capital Markets has completed the $6.15 million ground lease (land ownership) sale of a 5,000-square-foot Chick-fil-A property located at 27960 Clinton Keith Road in Murrieta, Calif. The new construction property recently opened for business in March this year and has a 15-year ground lease in place.

The transaction marks two sales records. First, at 3.9%, it is the lowest cap rate for a Chick-fil-A property sold this year nationwide. Second, the sale is the lowest cap rate this year for all Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) sales in Southern California with annual rent above $200,000.

SRS Capital Markets First Vice President Winston Guest and Managing Principals Matthew Mousavi and Patrick Luther represented the seller and developer of the property, Newport Beach, CA-based Sage Investco, as well as the all-cash buyer, a private family trust from California.

The Chick-fil-A property sale is part of a break-up strategy valued in excess of $20 million for the class A pads at The Vineyard Shopping Center, a 26.3-acre retail project anchored by Costco Wholesale and ALDI near Interstate 15. Other parcels being sold by SRS include Chase Bank, Chipotle and Verizon Wireless, Ono Hawaiian BBQ, and Ramona Tires.

“Despite current market conditions, we are seeing specific segments of the buyer pool come forward seeking high-quality real estate and certain credits, as was the case here with this Chick-fil-A sale that was acquired by a repeat non-1031 client for a long-term hold,” said Mousavi. “Our SRS team is pleased to complete this record-breaking sale for both parties and we look forward to the completion and sale of the remaining parcels.”

“High profile retail developments like this in Southern California can take years to get to this point and are scarcer as markets saturate and become further developed,” added Guest. “The remaining parcels for sale adjacent to this Chick-fil-A represent some of the best real estate available, and we expect the demand for those to increase as a result of this record-breaking sale.”

Situated on 2.09 acres, the property is strategically positioned within an expanding retail corridor with numerous plans for additional development. Nearby development projects include a 522 home single-family residential project in Murrieta Hills; a 210-unit apartment complex near Interstate 15; and a commercial and retail center, among others.

According to Technomic Ignite, since 2018 Chick-fil-A has doubled its total sales volume. Last year the chain generated $21.58 billion in sales which is a 14.7% increase over the previous year’s $18.81 billion and over 43% over 2021’s $15 billion. This brand has also continued to gain market share over its biggest competitors in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) chicken sandwich category – Popeyes and KFC. Further, Chick-fil-A released its latest Franchisee Disclosure last month which showed that the average unit volume (AUV) for non-mall locations in 2023 reached a record $9.3 million, an 8.1% increase over the previous record of $8.67 million in 2022.

Over the past 12 months, SRS has sold Chick-fil-A assets in Arizona, California, Texas, Michigan, Florida, Kansas, New Jersey and Georgia, and has locations on the market in California, Florida, Texas, Maryland, Arkansas, on the market.

Year to date, SRS Capital Markets has completed approximately $840 million in deal volume comprised of over 200 transactions in 34 states. SRS currently has in excess of 698 properties actively on the market with a market value surpassing $3.7 billion.

Deal follows value-add strategy with brokerage assisting ​ with upgrades, repositioning in strong Inland Empire market

DAUM Commercial Real Estate Services, a leading provider of commercial real estate services including brokerage, tenant representation, consulting, leasing, sales, and property management, has completed the sale of a 49,561 square foot industrial building in Corona, Calif. The total consideration for sale of the building was $15.99 million.

“The sale of this property was the culmination of a yearlong project with our client to renovate and reposition a 1980’s vintage industrial property,” said Charles Johnson, SIOR, Executive Vice President and Principal at DAUM Commercial. “The transaction demonstrates that even in a challenging market, properties that cater to the masses by way of efficient loading, minimal office, and excellent location, will attract buyers and lenders willing to finance the purchase.”

The property at 1141 California Ave. in Corona, Riverside County, was built in 1988. In 2023, the asset was purchased by PPVS Properties LLC. With the assistance of their Daum Commercial team, the company worked to renovate the property and reposition the site for possible industrial lease or sale.

The free-standing industrial building of over 49,000 square feet sits on a more than 2.5-acre site with ample space for employees, customers, and commercial truck parking. The warehouse building consists of cross-dock loading with four grade level doors and six dock high doors. The property has a fenced-in yard area, an interior warehouse clearance of 24 feet, and a 2,169 square foot office space. The warehouse, office, yard, and loading areas were all fully renovated to a turnkey, move-in position.

With close access to the I-15 Freeway, Ontario International Airport, and the Port of Long Beach, Riverside County is the 10th largest county in the U.S. with a gross domestic product of $115.4 billion as of 2021. These strategic advantages have bolstered the region’s industrial real estate market amid the recent uncertainty in the national economy.

According to DAUM’s Q1 2024 Market Report, Southern California’s Eastern Inland Empire is currently experiencing direct vacancy rates of 5.2% and an overall vacancy of 7.6% driven primarily by an increase in available sublet space. New deliveries of industrial space accounted for 1.6 million square feet with another 5.5 million under construction. Asking rents fell in Q1 to $1.21 per square foot. High interest rates have tempered overall sales with volume in Q1 down 27.9% compared to Q4 2023 with a median per square foot price of $235.89.

Commercial Edge, a real estate data provider, noted that in-place rents increased in February by 12.7% year-over-year across the entire Inland Empire leading the entire country. Between 2021 and Q1 2024 rents in this market have grown by over 60%.

The DAUM Commercial team of Johnson, Joseph Harmon, SIOR; and Noah Samarin, EVP and Principal, represented the seller. Clyde Stauff, SIOR, Jace Gan, and Jackson Marlow of Colliers International’s Orange County represented the buyer, who will use the property to expand their existing flooring business.

The deal is one of the largest in Palm Desert over the last decade

CBRE arranged the $14 million sale ($222,222 price per unit) of 63-unit Ariana at El Paseo in Palm Desert, Calif., to Investment Concepts, Inc. CBRE’s Eric Chen, Kevin Sin, Blake Torgerson, Dean Zander and Stew Weston represented the seller, 45278 Deep Canyon Road, in the transaction.

“Our team successfully marketed this unpriced property to investors,” said Mr. Chen, executive vice president. “Our team generated multiple competitive offers resulting in the largest multifamily transaction in Palm Desert over the last eight years. The owner passed away last year, and her trustee was tasked with selling this asset. The owner has generously donated all proceeds to various charities.”

The boutique apartment homes are located at 45278 Deep Canyon Road and offer a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom floorplans, averaging 865 sq. ft. Each unit features a fully equipped kitchen, vinyl plank flooring, oversized patios and balconies, central air and heating, and large closets. The community amenities include a resort-style pool, on-site laundry facilities, an outdoor lounge and fireplace area, a pet play area and BBQ stations.

“This immaculately maintained property is a generational quality asset in the growing Coachella Valley submarket. The Coachella Valley has seen some of the highest rent growth in all pockets of the Inland Empire in the past few years due to increased economic growth in the region. Multifamily fundamentals remain strong in the area with the restriction of supply coming into the market,” added Mr. Sin.

According to CBRE research, Coachella Valley has one of the lowest vacancy rates in the Inland Empire, at 4.3%, second only to Redlands. In the first quarter of the year, the submarket also saw a 1.9% year-over-year rent change.