The Top 4 Commercial Property Owners by Square Feet (2024)

The Top 4 Commercial Property Owners by Square Feet (1)
  • 10/19/16
  • 5 MIN READ

The Top 4 Commercial Property Owners by Square Feet (2)

Kelly O'Brien

Technology Reporter, Boston Business Journal

When the biggest commercial real estate property owners make moves, the rest of the industry feels the consequences. So who are these players and how do their strategies differ? We’ve found a lot of variation at the top, with each landlord taking a unique approach to their portfolio.

Here’s our overview of the top four commercial property owners by square footage.

1. Prologis

Prologis is the top commercial real estate owner in the world, with almost 607 million square feet around the globe as of 2015, according to the 2015 Annual Report.

The behemoth company both owns and invests in industrial real estate, focusing on supply chain facilities near major transportation hubs, including airports, seaports and interstates. Prologis uses its immense size as a selling point to lure e-commerce companies with diverse and growing needs.

“If the building you lease today doesn’t work for your tomorrow, we have a lot more space where that came from, in a lot of different markets,” Prologis CEO Hamid Moghadam told REIT.com. “So if you are a big-time company and have ambitious growth and expansion plans, you can make a gazillion little deals, or you can come to Prologis for one-stop shopping.”

Because of its global presence, Prologis also takes the threat of climate change seriously and works to keep its business sustainable. To that end, the company releases a sustainability report every year and has been reporting its climate footprint since 2006. It also takes advantage of its position as one of the world’s largest owners of rooftops to install solar panels on many of its buildings.

2. Blackstone Group

The mammoth international investment firm includes among its assets the world’s biggest real estate private equity operation. The unit owns many kinds of commercial properties, totalling $103 billion in assets, and its office holdings alone would be enough to put it in the top five.

Blackstone owns 153 million square feet of office space globally, and is the largest owner of office property in the U.S. As of March 2015, its domestic holdings include the iconic Willis Tower in Chicago with 3.8 million square feet and a stake in at least six Manhattan office buildings totalling 5.3 million square feet. Blackstone also owns 179 million square feet of retail space and 153 million of industrial, along with 96,000 multifamily units.

Blackstone sums up its approach to commercial real estate with the slogan, “Buy it. Fix it. Sell it.” The company’s vast stores of liquid capital allow it scoop up investments at the time when they’re most in need of improvements that will boost their value upon resale.

3. Simon Property Group

Simon Property Group lives at the other end of the commercial real estate spectrum from Prologis. A self-managed real estate investment trust, it owns, manages and develops hundreds of shopping centers around the world.

Simon owns 209 properties domestically, totaling more than 184 million square feet of retail space in the U.S. in 2016, according to National Real Estate Investor. Most of those properties are malls and premium shopping outlets, including Copley Place in Boston, The Forum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and Woodbury Commons in New York.

The company likes to say it is in the business of creating destinations, not just spots to go shopping. The focus has paid off, as Simon has been named the most admired company in real estate by Fortune magazine six times, including in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, Simon was ranked No. 1 for innovation, social responsibility and quality of management, among other things.

4. Duke Realty Corp.

Duke Realty Corp. manages to be the fourth largest commercial property owner on our list – with 138 million square feet of assets owned or under development – despite focusing exclusively on the U.S. market.

The self-managed real estate investment trust specializes in industrial and healthcare properties, but offers a wide variety of services, including development, leasing, property management and construction.

Duke, a publicly traded company, continues to hone its investments, aiming for the most profitable areas. In 2009, 55% of its portfolio was made up of office buildings, but that has since fallen to 1%. And it plans to increase focus on “modern bulk distribution properties” to strengthen and expand the partnerships it currently has with e-commerce companies.

The medical office buildings Duke owns, though they make up a smaller percentage of its holdings in terms of square feet, work as a steady counterpoint to the industrial holdings. Medical facilities are more resistant to economic downturns and tend to have longer lease periods, with Duke’s medical tenants staying an average of 13 years.

Kelly O'Brien

Technology Reporter |

Boston Business Journal

The Top 4 Commercial Property Owners by Square Feet (3)

Kelly is a Technology Reporter at the Boston Business Journal writing about real estate, business, and technology.

Connect with Kelly O'Brien

The Top 4 Commercial Property Owners by Square Feet (2024)

FAQs

Who owns the most commercial real estate? ›

CBRE leads our list of top commercial property owners, boasting a considerable 339 million square feet diversified across several asset types—office, industrial, retail, hospitality and numerous others.

What are the four 4 major types of commercial real estate in order of sophistication from least to most )? ›

The four main classes of commercial real estate are office space, industrial, multifamily rentals, and retail. Commercial real estate provides rental income as well as the potential for some capital appreciation for investors.

How do you calculate square footage of a commercial property? ›

Measure the length and width of the building's walls. Multiply the length and width measurements to find square footage. Remember to multiply the square footage times the number of floors in the building if your facility has more than one floor.

How do I calculate the value of a commercial property? ›

The formula used to calculate the value of a commercial property using the cost approach is:
  1. Property Value = Replacement Cost – Depreciation + Land Value.
  2. Property Value = Net Operating Income / Capitalization Rate.
  3. Gross Rent Multiplier = Sales Price / Annual Gross Rents.

Who is the largest commercial real estate brokerage in the US? ›

Company Description

Lee & Associates is the largest broker-owned commercial real estate firm in North America. Originally based in Orange County, California, they now have over 1,300 property experts spread across 65 locations in the United States and Canada.

Who owns the most properties in the US? ›

TOP TEN LARGEST PRIVATE LANDOWNERS
  • Emmerson family 2.411 million acres.
  • John Malone 2.2 million acres.
  • Ted Turner 2 million acres.
  • Reed family 1.661 million acres.
  • Stan Kroenke 1.627 million acres.
  • Irving family 1.267 million acres.
  • Buck family 1.236 million acres.
  • Singleton family 1.1 million acres.
Jan 9, 2023

What are the 4 P's of marketing in real estate? ›

Whatever the combination, however, your marketing mix should include four variables, known as the four Ps – product, promotion, price, and place.

What are the 4 pillars of real estate? ›

The 4 pillars of real estate include: cash flow, appreciation, amortization and leverage, and tax benefits.

What are the four criteria for highest and best use in real estate? ›

Here's a breakdown of the four criteria that Highest and Best Use must meet.
  • Physically possible. You must consider the size, shape, topography, and accessibility of the site when determining if it is physically possible. ...
  • Legally permissible. ...
  • Financially feasible. ...
  • Maximally productive.
Nov 17, 2020

How many square feet per person in a commercial building? ›

Medium Private or Shared Office: 150 to 250 square feet. Small Private Office: 90 to150 square feet. Open Space Workstations: 60 to 110 square feet per employee. Work Group Areas: 80 to 100 square feet per employee.

What is the average square footage of a commercial building? ›

The average size of buildings constructed before 1960 (26% of the commercial building stock) is 12,000 square feet; buildings constructed between 1960 and 1999 (55%) average 16,300 square feet; and buildings constructed in the 2000s (18%) average 19,000 square feet.

How many square feet is a commercial acre? ›

An acre is a unit of measurement for land, that is equivalent to 43,560 square feet, 4,840 square yards, or 4046.86 square meters.

How do you find the value of property? ›

You can determine home value by using an online valuation tool, hiring an appraiser, using a real estate agent, or checking comparable homes in your area. Using an online valuation tool or pulling comps in your neighborhood is easy and quick, but you'll receive more accurate results using a REALTOR® or appraiser.

How do you determine the value of a building? ›

Valuation based on Profit

In such cases, the net annual income is used from the valuation after deducting all the outgoings and expenses from the gross income. The valuation of building or property is found by multiplying the net income by year's purchase.

What is cap rate in commercial real estate? ›

Calculated by dividing a property's net operating income by its asset value, the cap rate is an assessment of the yield of a property over one year. For example, a property worth $14 million generating $600,000 of NOI would have a cap rate of 4.3%.

Who is the richest commercial real estate investor? ›

Donald Bren, chair of Southern California-based Irvine Company, is the wealthiest American real estate titan, just cracking the top 100 (#97) with a $17.4 billion fortune, an increase of $1.2 billion from last year.

Who is the richest broker of USA? ›

Vanguard is the largest brokerage firm by AUM, managing $8.1 trillion in assets as of March 31, 2022, up one trillion from 2021. Vanguard not only manages the most assets of any major brokerage, the company is the only major stock brokerage firm to grow its AUM from 2021 to 2022.

What is the fastest-growing commercial real estate firm? ›

Avison Young is the world's fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm.

Who owns largest ranch in US? ›

The nation's largest private landowners are the Emmerson family in California who own over 2.4 million acres. The bulk of that land is dedicated to timber in Northern California. But the most headline-worthy transaction of 2022 was the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas.

What business owns the most property? ›

The Largest Private Landowners in the United States. Red Emmerson's company Sierra Pacific Industries is the largest private lumber production firm in the United States. They own 14 different sawmills across the country.

Who owns the most expensive property in the US? ›

In 2019, hedge fund owner Ken Griffin logged the highest amount paid for a residence on record in the US, when he bought a penthouse for $238 million in the lauded limestone tower.

What are the 4 7 P's of marketing? ›

Initially 4, these elements were Product, Price, Place and Promotion, which were later expanded by including People, Packaging and Process. These are now considered to be the “7 P's” mix elements.

What are the 4 marketing elements or 4 Ps? ›

The four Ps of marketing is a marketing concept that summarizes the four key factors of any marketing strategy. The four Ps are: product, price, place, and promotion.

What are the 4 types of marketing strategies? ›

They are product, price, place, and promotion. The four Ps are often referred to as the marketing mix.

What are the three C's of real estate? ›

They evaluate credit and payment history, income and assets available for a down payment and categorize their findings as the Three C's: Capacity, Credit and Collateral.

What are the 5 P's in real estate? ›

These five elements are Plan, Process, People, Property, and Profit.
  • Plan: The first P in real estate is Plan. ...
  • Process: The second P in real estate is Process. ...
  • People: The third P in real estate is People. ...
  • Property: The fourth P in real estate is Property. ...
  • Profit: The final P in real estate is Profit.

What is the rule of three real estate? ›

What is the Rule of 3? The Rule of 3 is simply this: You can get a good general estimate of your property affordability by multiplying your gross household income by three. For example, if your household income is $150,000, the Rule of 3 states that an affordable property for you would cap at about $450,000.

What are the 4 principles of highest and best use? ›

2: “Highest and best use of a property is an economic concept that measures the interaction of four criteria: legal permissibility, physical possibility, financial feasibility, and maximum profitability.” 12.34.

What are the 4 tests for highest and best use? ›

The four criteria the highest and best use must meet are legal permissibility, physical possibility, financial feasibility, and maximum productivity.

What are the 3 most important factors in real estate? ›

The three most important factors when buying a home are location, location, and location. Too often I hear people talking about making decisions based on the home itself, instead of the location, and that is a mistake.

What is the recommended square footage per person? ›

1. How many square feet per person standing? Six square feet per person is a good rule of thumb for a standing crowd.

How much is a square foot in a commercial? ›

It can be calculated by dividing the price of the building by the building's square feet. For example, if a 2500 square foot building is selling for $250,000, then the PPSF is $100. Price per square foot can vary depending on where you would like to purchase or lease commercial real estate.

What is the ideal square footage per person? ›

Square Footage

Visualizing the square feet of a room or house that matches your family size can help you choose the right home size. On average, the ideal square footage is about 600 – 700 square feet per person. That means a family of three will want a house that's at least 1,800 square feet.

What is the lifespan of a commercial building? ›

The lifespan of a commercial building on average ranges from 50 to 60 years and can go further depending on the preservation techniques employed by the owner and the way the building is utilized. Every structure is unique, and its endurance depends on its build quality and maintenance management.

Are exterior walls included in square footage commercial building? ›

Gross square footage (GSF) is calculated from exterior walls, but also includes all space in areas such as multi-floors which are open.

How many square feet is the average storefront? ›

Average Total Store Size – Square Feet
YearAverage Total Store Size in Square Feet
202151,507
202048,466
201942,415
201841,651
22 more rows

What is the square footage of a 5 acre lot? ›

One acre is 43,560 square feet, which means five acres of land equals 217,800 square feet.

What is the difference between an acre and a commercial acre? ›

A commercial acre is 4,000 square yards, compared to 4,840 square yards for a standard acre. That means a commercial acre is about 83% of a standard acre. The difference is in order to account for aspects of the property the owner cannot modify, such as alleyways, sidewalks, and roads.

What size is an acre? ›

Officially, it is 43,560 square feet, and a football field is 48,000 square feet. Our standard acre isn't the same worldwide. Irish and Scottish acres are bigger than those in the US.

What is the real value of a property? ›

Property is valuable because of the future benefits it is expected (anticipated) to provide. A property's value may be defined as the present worth of the rights to all prospective future benefits, tangible and intangible, accruing to the ownership of real property.

What is property value? ›

Property value refers to the price a potential buyer is willing to pay.

What is the total value of the property? ›

Total Property Value means the sum of the Contribution Value and the outstanding balance of the Loan Obligations.

What is the difference between property and value? ›

Answer 514b01191a82dd7c0f001e8f. easy. Property is like color,font-size,font-family.In real life,just imagine property is like you own a car.It has color,size, brand or so on.So we can call it property or aspect of a selector(car). Value is like the value you will give for the property.

What does Noi mean in real estate? ›

Net Operating Income, or NOI for short, is a formula those in real estate use to quickly calculate profitability of a particular investment. NOI determines the revenue and profitability of invested real estate property after subtracting necessary operating expenses.

What is the 2% rule in real estate? ›

2% Rule. The 2% rule is the same as the 1% rule – it just uses a different number. The 2% rule states that the monthly rent for an investment property should be equal to or no less than 2% of the purchase price. Here's an example of the 2% rule for a home with the purchase price of $150,000: $150,000 x 0.02 = $3,000.

Is 7 cap rate good for commercial property? ›

Average cap rates range from 4% to 10%. Generally, the higher the cap rate, the higher the risk. A cap rate above 7% may be perceived as a riskier investment, whereas a cap rate below 5% may be seen as a safer bet. If a property has a 10% cap rate, you should expect to recover your investment in about 10 years.

What is a good cash on cash return? ›

What Is A Good Cash On Cash Return? There is no specific rule of thumb for those wondering what constitutes a good return rate. There seems to be a consensus amongst investors that a projected cash on cash return between 8 to 12 percent indicates a worthwhile investment.

Is McDonald's one of the largest real estate owner? ›

McDonald's is one of the biggest real estate companies in the world. It owns or leases more than 38,000 restaurants in over 100 countries and has a portfolio worth an estimated $30 billion.

What company owns the most rental properties? ›

Leading apartment owners in the U.S. 2022, by units owned

Starwood Capital Group, which was the largest owner in 2022 with 115,000 units, is a private investment firm headquartered in Miami, Florida.

Can you become a billionaire in commercial real estate? ›

It is no surprise that real estate moguls are among the richest billionaires in the world who own hundreds of commercial & residential properties. The big benefits of real estate investing are passive income, stable cash flow, tax advantages, diversification, and leverage.

What type of commercial real estate makes the most money? ›

Properties with the highest number of tenants are the ones that are capable of bringing in the highest ROI. These properties include apartment complexes, office buildings, student housing, RV parks, storage facilities, etc.

What commercial real estate makes the most money? ›

Properties capable of bringing in the highest return on investments are typically those with the highest number of tenants. These properties include RV parks, apartment complexes, student housing, office buildings, and storage facilities.

Who are the most successful property investors? ›

Donald Bren is one of the greatest real estate investors in American history. He is currently the wealthiest real estate investor in the country and has a net worth of $15.3 billion. Donald got his start in the real estate world early in life. This is because his father was a real estate investor.

Who owns most land in the US? ›

The nation's largest private landowners are the Emmerson family in California who own over 2.4 million acres. The bulk of that land is dedicated to timber in Northern California. But the most headline-worthy transaction of 2022 was the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas.

How much land does the Mormon Church own? ›

Across America, subsidiaries of the church reportedly hold 1m acres of agricultural land. This is thought to include land in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah and Texas. Church companies are also thought to hold land outside the US, including in Canada and Brazil.

Does the Catholic Church own the most land? ›

After gaining permission from the Vatican, Burhans underwent a comprehensive of bringing the Church into the 21st century. A live database provides a visual of all its land holdings. Conclusion: The Catholic Church owns the most land, far more than McDonald's and billionaire Bill Gates.

What rental properties are most profitable? ›

What Types of Commercial Properties Are the Most Profitable? High-Tenant Properties – Typically, properties with a high number of tenants will give the best return on investment. These properties include RVs, self-storage, apartment complexes, and office spaces.

Who has the highest rent in the United States? ›

The most expensive rental market in the US remains to be New York. The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom is roughly $3,260. This is about a $500 decrease from 2021, however as demand continues to increase prices are likely to follow.

How many rental properties is too many? ›

Don't get in over your head. Some real estate investors enjoy great success with one or two rental properties, while others own dozens. There's really no preset number of properties you should limit yourself to. Rather, you should think about your capacity to manage those properties.

Who is the richest realtor? ›

1. Donald Bren. Donald Bren began his career as a typical real estate agent, making his first investment in a real estate company that purchased over 90,000 acres of land.

Who is the richest black real estate agent? ›

Roy Donahue "Don" Peebles (born March 2, 1960) is an American real estate entrepreneur, author, and political activist. Peebles is the founder, chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Peebles Corporation, a real estate company. Washington, D.C., U.S.

Does owning a million dollar property make you a millionaire? ›

A millionaire is somebody with a net worth of one million dollars. It's a simple math formula based on your net worth. When what you own (your assets) minus what you owe (your liabilities) equals more than a million dollars, you're a millionaire.

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