Florida doctors could use help of lawyers to finish office deals

More than 3.3 million people who live in Florida are 65 and older. Five percent of residents are 80 or older.

The projection is that seniors will continue to move into the state and that by 2030, almost 25 percent of Floridians will be 65 or older.

The number of elderly residents will drive up the need for medical facilities, and that is going to mean a demand for commercial real estate.

Real estate professionals anticipate that there will be a greater need for treatment and diagnostic centers. Hospitals will need to add office space and outpatient centers; physicians could need larger office space.

In some communities in Florida, that will be more difficult as vacancy rates have fallen and costs to build new sites are up. This means that medical providers might look to solutions such as using existing properties — shuttered retail stores, perhaps — and converting them to a new use. A big advantage to those sites is the abundance of parking they usually have.

The aging population in Florida will continue to alter the real estate landscape when it comes to health care in the future. It could be difficult for medical providers to find properties for lease or land to build on.

Real estate agents experienced in health care will be needed to help medical professionals locate their future office and clinic space. When that’s done, Florida real estate attorneys will step in to make sure contracts for either leases or new construction are executed appropriately.