Google's shopping spree in Silicon Valley

Local News $4/16/2020$: "Google has bought over $50$ properties in Sunnyvale over the past $3$ years, extending a shopping spree that totals in the billions of dollars in that Silicon Valley city alone." Why do you think Google went on such a shopping spree? What made it want to purchase so many properties instead of renting? What effects will these purchases have on Google's financial statements?