Monday, October 20, 2025
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KentuckyMarket ReportsOfficeSoutheastSoutheast Market Reports

Louisville’s Office Evolution Includes New Deals, Conversions

by John Nelson

Louisville is a city full of history, charm and grit. We’re the birthplace of Muhammad Ali, home to the Kentucky Derby and the heart of America’s bourbon culture.  As our city has grown, so have its business opportunities. Louisville’s geographic location, its logistics network and its diversified economy have attracted significant investment from global businesses to set down roots in recent years. In 2023, Louisville was named as a top 5 U.S. metro for economic development by Site Selection magazine with over $1 billion in capital investment and 2,300 new jobs that year alone. Louisville’s overall commercial real estate market has grown along with the population, but the office market has had a softer rebound following the pandemic than other markets nationally.  Office overview In second-quarter 2025, Louisville had over 235,000 square feet of positive office leasing activity that was negated by over 256,000 square feet of negative net absorption, primarily due to large move-outs from office users in the city’s suburban submarkets.  Leasing activity in Louisville’s Central Business District (CBD) has rebounded. In the second quarter, the submarket saw over 6,100 square feet of net positive absorption from Class A leasing activity, including the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office lease …

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KansasMarket ReportsMidwestMidwest Market ReportsMissouriRetail

Mixed-Use Projects, Big Box Vacancies Provide Opportunities in Kansas City Retail

by Kristin Harlow

By Lindy Beyer and Matt Rau, CBRE Kansas City is a special place. We have long been known for our renowned barbecue, jazz and most recently, as the city where Taylor Swift’s fiancé works. Retail is at the core of our city, attracting visitors from all over the world to experience our city’s welcoming and rich culture.  As the metro area has grown, so has the retail market. We are currently experiencing a period of robust growth, fueled by a combination of strong suburban demand, exciting new mixed-use developments and the appeal of big box vacancies. Sports have been an additional driver as the city continues to invest in its athletic and entertainment offerings. These venues attract large crowds — generating foot traffic and boosting sales for nearby retailers.  Retail occupancy rates in Kansas City have increased from 93 percent to 95.1 percent in the last five years, showing the strong overall demand in the market. This is especially notable as there have been over 2.6 million square feet of new retail space delivered over that same time frame, with a large portion contained in mixed-use developments.  Overall growth in the Kansas City submarkets has triggered a higher demand for …

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Market ReportsMultifamilyTexasTexas Market Reports

DFW Multifamily Investment Sales Market Turns the Corner

by Taylor Williams

By Taylor Williams Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) is a multifamily powerhouse, and after nearly three years of elevated interest rates, massive volumes of new deliveries and stagnated trading activity, the metroplex’s investment sales market may soon be showcasing that alpha status once again.  Of course, that sentiment was prevalent at the very beginning of the year too. Optimism for lower interest rates and pro-growth policies understandably accompanied the arrival of the second Trump administration. Local factors, such as the peaking of the wave of new supply and the ever-steady flow of jobs and people into the metroplex, augmented that sentiment such that many multifamily lenders and investors entered 2025 with considerably more ebullience following a couple of rough years in 2023 and 2024.  “Coming out of the gates, things felt pretty good, but a lot of this year’s volatility was based on [interest] rate movement, which was primarily based on geopolitical issues,” says Drew Kile, executive managing director of investments at Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap. “Had rates come down methodically more like the last two months, there would have been less of an impact. It’s hard for buyers to make decisions when rates are whipsawing …

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IndustrialKentuckyMarket ReportsSoutheastSoutheast Market Reports

Louisville’s Industrial Market: Steady, Sturdy and Poised for Growth

by John Nelson

Louisville’s industrial market stands out as a steady force, resisting the fluctuations often seen in surrounding Midwest cities such as Cincinnati, Columbus and St. Louis. Midyear figures show Louisville’s year-over-year rent growth exceeding the national percentage and its vacancy rate 340 basis points below the national rate, both signs of a healthy market.  Additionally, Louisville’s recognition in national trade publications and recent announcements of General Electric/Haier and Ford’s electric vehicle (EV) investment at its Louisville Assembly Plant suggests positive future job growth. A sturdy foundation Louisville’s centralized location has helped secure its place as a major logistical powerhouse and develop relationships with major industrial business players such as UPS, Ford and General Electric. UPS announced its first expansion into Louisville in 1981 and has continued to grow its operations since, including the recently opened $100 million automated medical labs shipping facility.  Ford also continues to invest in Louisville, recently leasing a 567,433-square-foot facility in Southern Indiana and a 426,300-square-foot facility in Louisville’s Bullitt County submarket just south of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. Additionally, General Electric/Haier will move washer/dryer manufacturing processes to Louisville, creating 800 new jobs and confirming Haier’s Louisville manufacturing operations as its global hub.  A resilient market …

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KansasMarket ReportsMidwestMidwest Market ReportsMissouriOffice

From Stability to Selective Growth: Kansas City’s Office Market in Focus

by Kristin Harlow

By Anné Erickson, JLL Kansas City’s appeal is catching the attention of companies looking for more than just square footage. From corporate relocations like Fiserv and expansions by Propio Language Services, to a deep talent pool, business-friendly environment and central location, the metro is emerging as a strategic choice for growth. These factors are fueling activity in a market already defined by stable fundamentals, headline lease transactions and a strong flight-to-quality trend. While the overall vacancy rate remained at 20.2 percent according to JLL’s Q2 2025 Kansas City Office Market Dynamics report, the quarter delivered 192,000 square feet of positive net absorption, reversing early-year declines. Average asking rents held steady at $22.98 per square foot, signaling stability despite the competitive environment. For tenants seeking to secure best-in-class space, and investors targeting properties with long-term upside, Kansas City is increasingly worth a closer look. Flight to quality One of the clearest shifts in recent quarters has been the move toward high-quality, well-located buildings that can support hybrid work, collaboration and tenant amenities. After several years of shorter lease terms and cautious decision-making, companies are now committing to space that reflects their long-term workplace strategies. This was evident in several major second-quarter …

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Conference CoverageMarket ReportsMultifamilyTexasTexas Market Reports

InterFace Panel: Austin Multifamily Architects, Builders Respond to Development Cost Pressures, Sluggish Leasing

by Taylor Williams

By Taylor Williams It’s a tough time in the Austin multifamily market, and architects and general contractors (GCs) are being asked to do their part to minimize the financial distresses of their developer clients and to facilitate the work of the agencies that lease the buildings they design and build. The state capital is on the back nine — it’s tough to say which hole precisely — of an apartment building frenzy that materialized in the immediate post-COVID era. Times were starkly different then in terms of costs of capital and trended rent projections, and developers and their capital partners made hay while there was light. Project partners on developments that were delivered in the past 12 to 18 months as part of the building boom may not have felt as acutely pressured to design for efficiency. But those working on new projects today do not have that luxury and are being asked to think and design with cost savings in mind. Editor’s note: InterFace Conference Group, a division of France Media Inc., produces networking and educational conferences for commercial real estate executives. To sign up for email announcements about specific events, visit www.interfaceconferencegroup.com/subscribe. One could argue that developing multifamily product with financial …

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Market ReportsRestaurantRetailWashingtonWesternWestern Market Reports

Experiential Retail Revives Greater Seattle’s Shopping Centers

by John Nelson

— By Jacob Pavlik of Colliers — As big-box retailers scale back or exit the market, a new class of tenants is reshaping the retail landscape across the Puget Sound region. Experiential retail is taking their space and providing destinations for consumers and the experiences they crave. This umbrella term includes concepts that prioritize interaction, entertainment and social connection. This is emerging as a compelling solution for landlords looking to drive foot traffic and re-energize shopping centers. The shift is not accidental. The pandemic disrupted traditional social experiences and accelerated the decline of large-format retail by getting people more accustomed to buying online, even if they “picked up” the item later in a store. Now, with consumers eager to reconnect in person, experiential concepts have gained traction. These tenants often don’t sell goods or services in the conventional sense. Instead, they offer immersive experiences that encourage group participation and repeat visits. Recent examples include Mirra, a 12,000-square-foot social entertainment venue that opened in Bellevue’s Lincoln Square, a mixed-use shopping center with three hotels, and more than 1.2 million square feet of office space. Adjacent to Cinemark Reserve in the South Tower, Mirra offers immersive virtual reality party games and transitions to …

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Market ReportsMultifamilyTexasTexas Market Reports

Multifamily at a Crossroads: Why Now May Be the Time to Invest in Texas

by Taylor Williams

By Mitch Faccio, senior vice president, MLG Capital Texas’ multifamily market is at a unique inflection point. After several years of historic levels of new construction and softening fundamentals, conditions are shifting in ways that may benefit current owners and new investors. Slowing development, sustained population growth and the widening affordability gap between renting and owning are creating conditions that seem to favor existing assets. A Market Reset After Record Construction Over the last several years, multifamily development surged in Texas. Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and other metros all experienced a wave of new supply that outpaced demand. By 2023 and 2024, this boom in development had led to softer occupancies, higher concessions and flat or even declining rents. Net operating income (NOI) growth slowed as the market absorbed this record wave of deliveries, according to data from CoStar Group and RealPage. Now, that dynamic seems to be shifting. Construction costs have risen faster than achievable rents, making new developments financially difficult to justify, according to data from RealPage and the 2024 Turner Construction Index. In fact, multifamily starts in many Texas metros are down significantly from recent peaks. As a result, many planned projects have stalled, and the supply …

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Market ReportsNortheastNortheast Market ReportsPennsylvaniaRetail

Philadelphia Suburbs Draw Fresh Retail Blood

by Taylor Williams

By Taylor Williams Retail and restaurant operators looking to enter or expand within the Philadelphia metro area are increasingly looking at suburban locations, and owners of those properties and seasoned brokers within the market both say there’s more to the trend than a simple lack of availability in key urban retail nodes.  “The suburbs have been the preferred asset class — to some degree the first choice — for some retailers,” says Kari Glinski, vice president of asset management at regional owner-operator Federal Realty Investment Trust. “It started during COVID, when everybody was home, and with a lot of people living in the suburbs, we’ve seen strong demand. For well-located suburban properties, the leasing volume over the past three years has been at historical highs.” “Even over the past 12 to 24 months, supply has absolutely been constrained and should be even more constrained going forward,” Glinski continues. “For well-located properties backed by demand, new development can work. But right now, with where the cost of capital is, there’s not going to be a huge pop in new supply, thus creating a scarcity of well-located retail space.” Glinski acknowledges that since Federal Realty doesn’t operate many projects in the city, …

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KentuckyMarket ReportsRestaurantRetailSoutheastSoutheast Market Reports

Grocery Anchors Continue to Fuel Louisville’s Retail Market

by John Nelson

Louisville’s retail market continues to show strength in 2025, with grocery anchors driving much of the momentum. Despite national headwinds such as moderating rent growth and elevated construction costs, the metro has proven resilient, posting a vacancy rate of just 3.5 percent, outperforming the national benchmark of 4.8 percent, according to CoStar Group. Asking rents averaged $17.42 per square foot, reflecting steady demand across the region. At the center of this activity are grocers like Kroger, Publix and BJ’s Wholesale Club, each reshaping Louisville’s retail landscape in unique ways.  Kroger is deepening its footprint with multiple new stores, including a 123,000-square-foot location under construction on Beulah Church Road that is scheduled to open in 2026.  Publix, one of the most closely watched entrants to the Kentucky market, has expanded aggressively after opening its first store, securing 60,000 square feet at Blankenbaker Plaza and 56,000 square feet at Prospect Point.  BJ’s Wholesale Club has adopted a redevelopment approach, razing the former Sears building at Jefferson Mall to deliver a 104,000-square-foot store that opened earlier this year.  Collectively, these projects underscore the draw of essential, needs-based retail while fueling complementary leasing activity in their surrounding trade areas. Concepts gaining ground That momentum …

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