Whereas Miami’s residential real estate market is seeing relatively steady increases in sales over last year, our commercial market’s third quarter sales plunged 70% compared to 2008. The price per square foot has decreased in the industrial sector the most, down 23%, followed by multifamily 14%, office 12% and retail 9%. It is interesting to note that the price per square foot decrease does not necessarily correlate with the number of distressed properties in each of these sectors, but rather with their actual use. It makes sense that if industries are closing that sector would have high vacancies (therefore lower pricing) and that the multifamily, in competing with the over supply of residential real estate, would also see a decrease in their pricing.
This huge decrease in commercial sales and pricing is not unexpected, as the commercial real estate sector typically lags behind the residential real estate market.