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?