Something's changing at the street level in the Inland Empire — and it's not just the headline numbers.
Tour activity and LOI velocity have both picked up over the past few weeks, and it's showing up in how deals are actually getting done, not just how many are getting done. Tenants aren't just window shopping anymore.
The common thread: speed and communication. Tenants want deals that let them occupy fast — whether that means a lease that can turn in days instead of weeks, a building that's already been improved and doesn't need a six-month renovation before move-in, or space that's simply ready to go the moment ink hits paper. The tenant who can move first wins the building, and the landlord who can turn paper fast wins the tenant.
That urgency cuts both ways. Landlords sitting on a lease expiration within the next 12 months need to start the conversation now or earlier. Early, clear communication about renewal intentions — theirs and their tenant's — is the difference between renewing on your terms and scrambling to backfill space in a market that no longer waits around.
Rates remain part of the backdrop. The Fed has held steady since December 2025, but the tone out of the July meeting was notably more hawkish — three regional presidents dissented in favor of a hike, and Fed Chair Kevin Warsh used his first Jackson Hole address to underscore that taming inflation is still the priority. That's pushed the conversation from "when do cuts resume" to "could the next move actually be up." Until the September meeting clarifies things, expect borrowing costs to stay elevated — one more reason deal structure and speed matter more right now than betting on cheaper capital down the road.
Bottom line: the market is moving again, but it's rewarding preparation — tenants who move decisively, landlords who communicate early, and space that's ready when the buyer is.
John Viscounty | Senior Vice President, Partner
Voit Real Estate Services
3280 E Guasti Rd. Suite 100 | Ontario, CA 91761
D (909) 545-8002
jviscounty@voitco.com | www.voitco.com
Real Estate Salesperson, Cal BRE, License #02028915