Owner-occupier buyers wanting a smaller industrial asset will have an edge over investors for at least another 12 months, valuer Opteon says, as they are not dependent on rental returns that don’t keep up with loan servicing costs.

Business owners needing space to support the country’s growth in e-commerce were a key driver of last year’s 16 per cent increase in industrial asset values in the sub-$40 million market, Opteon said.