Coastline's 2021 Real Estate Outlook

Historical discussion: This article revisits Coastline Equity's outlook entering 2021, based on conversations with George Mayer and Anthony Luna. Their views reflect the pandemic conditions of that period, rather than a current market forecast.

Reviewed October 2026.

The discussion raised different questions for retail, office, and industrial owners. Retail tenants depended on customers being able to visit. Office tenants were reconsidering how much space they needed and how to use it. Industrial tenants could need a combination of office and warehouse space. Understanding those differences was a starting point for evaluating a property's next steps.

Retail: Look at how customers reach each tenant

In the original retail episode, George and Anthony discussed the effect of theater closures on nearby restaurants, along with the difficulties facing businesses built around personal contact. They also considered whether restaurants could serve customers through pickup or delivery.

The speakers described a center with eight specialty restaurants anchored by a movie theater, a 2021 example of how a closure could affect nearby visits. The useful question for an owner is which tenants rely on visits generated by an anchor or neighboring business. A tenant's actual customer channels provide more information than its business category alone.

Office: Match the space to how people work

The office episode considered whether companies would need their employees in the office full time or split their work between the office, home, and the field. The conversation also covered unit sizes and the privacy people needed within open office layouts.

Anthony also recalled Coastline’s own search for more office space, weighing open collaboration against private rooms and comfort. For a property review, start with the tenant's space requirements. Ask about the number of people using the office, the work they do there, and which activities need separate rooms. That makes a layout discussion more specific than assuming every tenant wants the same floor plan.

Space changes described in the original article

In the original 2021 account, George recalled a property that converted the back of a large retail unit into storage. Dividing the space gave the owner a separate storage-rental use alongside the remaining business space.

The article also described a Coastline client whose large medical tenant left. Coastline helped divide the suite into two smaller units, attracted a smaller medical operator at a higher rent, and leased the other suite to a service business. The account reported that the change replaced the lost revenue and improved net operating income.

Industrial: Understand the mix of office and warehouse needs

In the multi-tenant industrial episode, the speakers discussed spaces that combined office and warehouse functions. They considered how smaller businesses and distribution users might use that mix.

The speakers cited a Temecula Valley industrial center with a counseling-service tenant that did not need warehouse space. This was a 2021 example, not current occupancy evidence. For an individual property, document the spaces a prospective tenant needs, how the existing layout serves those needs, and the cost and feasibility of proposed changes. Compare those details with the property's current vacancy, lease schedule, and operating records before choosing a leasing or improvement strategy.

Watch the original discussions, then review today's records

The 2021 Real Estate Predictions playlist preserves the original context. When reviewing a property today, use it to frame questions, then gather current evidence:

• Which tenant activities depend on customer visits, office attendance, or warehouse access?
• What do current collections, vacant space, and lease expirations show?
• Which space changes has a tenant actually requested, and what would they involve?
• What information is still missing before the owner can choose a next step?

For a practical framework for reviewing management work, see the commercial property management owner scorecard. You can also subscribe to Coastline Equity's YouTube channel for its published conversations.