It would be easy to say that now is a great time to be in the industrial real estate asset space. Demand, pricing, rents—they all favor the industry right now. As one example of the sector’s great fundamentals: rents are projected to increase as much as 10% or more this year, per Prologis. But experts in this category do have some juggling to do. Tenants are eager for space and it is not easy to satisfy them all. Developable land for industrial use is relatively scarce and the prices for sale lease-backs are rising as developers are seeking out any property available for their purposes. Navigating this environment takes skill. With these challenges in mind, we have selected our annual group of industrial influencers. We choose, as we always do, based on accomplishments and impacts the influencers have made on the industry. As you read through these stories, we believe you will agree with our decisions, hard as they were to make.

ORGANIZATIONS

DAUM COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES With more than 115 years of experience brokering industrial deals in the Southern California market, DAUM Commercial Real Estate Services works with some of the biggest players in the industrial market, including Prologis, CenterPoint Properties, Duke Realty, Clarion Partners and Panattoni Development Co. However, the firm is also known for working closely with small businesses and supporting business goals through its advisory services. In 2020, DAUM closed $1.8 billion in leasing and sale industrial transactions, and in the first four months of 2021, the firm had already increased transaction volume by 25%. As a pillar of the industrial community, DAUM has worked on some of the most significant transactions in the Southwestern market, including the acquisition of a 60-acre parcel in Hesperia, CA for a one-million-square-foot build-to-suit industrial development; the sale of a 464,415-square-foot, six-property industrial portfolio in Los Angeles; and a sublease transaction for a 254,700-square-foot building in La Mirada, CA. With 10 offices in the region, the firm has a team of 140 brokers, some of whom have built 40-year careers at the company, and many belong to leading industry organizations and serve as guest lecturers at UCLA and USC.