Third-party logistics firms, e-commerce companies and retailers are all vying for industrial space with proximity to major airports. Operators are willing to pay a premium for this coveted but limited real estate to meet customer expectations of rapid order fulfillment.

At 32 percent, the Oakland Airport industrial submarket is home to the second-highest rent premium among the most-active airport cargo submarkets tracked by CBRE. The highest is the Chicago O’Hare submarket at 47 percent.

“As e-commerce distribution and fulfillment networks continue to evolve, proximity near vital transportation arteries such as airports, highways and ports will continue to be the most important factor in corporate site selection. In addition, locations that can offer low site coverage for ever-increasing parking needs for employee cars, delivery vans and trailers are highly desirable. The Oakland Airport industrial submarket offers all those key features along with immediate access to a dynamic consumer population and abundant local labor force,” said Kevin Hatcher, senior vice president with CBRE industrial and logistics in Oakland. “A highly attractive land-constrained location that checks all the boxes for corporate supply chains leads investors to the obvious conclusion that rent growth in key markets like Oakland will continue to outperform less-desirable locations.”