Orlando has emerged as one of the Southeast’s most competitive retail markets, where robust tenant demand and limited supply are driving both leasing velocity and investor urgency. With availability near historic lows below 4 percent and most new construction preleased, the market offers few options for the wave of private and institutional capital targeting Central Florida. This imbalance is fueled by strong population growth and resilient consumer spending. Quality retail assets continue to trade quickly, while lower-tier properties remain on the market longer. Buyer pricing remains grounded in fundamentals, and the gap between buyers and sellers has narrowed, making deals increasingly feasible. Investment activity has accelerated in 2025, following 12 to 18 months of steady engagement from private capital. Institutional buyers, including REITs and national funds, are now re-entering the market, primarily targeting stabilized assets in high-growth suburban corridors where tenant rosters offer long-term income visibility. Unanchored and grocery-anchored centers remain in high demand, especially in infill locations with constrained supply and strong population growth. While investor appetite is strong, today’s environment has created a bifurcated market. Well-located, quality centers continue to trade quickly, often with multiple offers, while less desirable assets linger. 1031 exchange buyers and out-of-state groups remain …
Market Reports
When asked what makes Florida appealing from a retail perspective, Steven Miskew, CEO of Southeast Centers, put it succinctly: “The good macro-economic drivers are here: population growth, lack of supply and low vacancy, all in a pro-business environment,” he said. As Miskew asserts, Florida’s population continues to swell as approximately 1,755 people move into the state daily, according to 2023 data from online self-storage platform StorageCafe. Additionally, U-Haul has ranked Florida as a top four growth state in its annual growth index — which analyzes the destinations for one-way moves across its fleet — every year since 2015. Seven Florida cities ranked in U-Haul’s top 25 growth metros in 2024. Florida’s growing population underpins the success of its retail sector as more rooftops directly correlates to more demand for corresponding services, including grocery, food-and-beverage, health and wellness and soft goods. Phil Kirkpatrick, business recruitment and property development at the City of Clearwater’s economic development and housing department, says that the Tampa Bay-area city is seeing very strong retail occupancy levels. “Vacancy is quite low as of the end of 2024, sitting at 5.4 percent,” says Kirkpatrick, acknowledging that the rate exceeds the vacancy rate of the overall Tampa Bay metro …
Orlando is one of the country’s most active residential markets today — a modern-day “boomtown” experiencing rapid growth on multiple fronts. Economic expansion, population gains and infrastructure investments are fueling job creation and housing demand. Multifamily developers have responded with an unprecedented range of new affordable, middle-market and luxury housing options. Young professionals, retirees, urbanites, suburbanites, digital nomads and long-term residents can each find something to suit their lifestyles and budgets thanks to a diverse mix of residential settings and price points across the Central Florida region. Economic drivers Orlando has attracted more people and created more jobs than any other U.S. metro over the past year. In 2024, Orlando led the nation in job growth, adding more than 37,500 jobs, according to the Florida Department of Commerce. Major projects, such as Universal Studios’ Epic Universe, Walt Disney World’s expansion, the Lake Nona Town Center build-out and Westcourt (the Orlando Magic’s Sports and Entertainment District) are expected to bring another 60,900 jobs by 2027. The growing healthcare, education and tech sectors are bringing greater balance to the economy; more than 80 percent of the local workforce is employed outside of hospitality and leisure, according to the Orlando Economic Partnership. Orlando …
This year marks the centennial of several Miami municipalities, including Coral Gables and Hialeah, placing Miami-Dade County in a unique position: looking back on a rich history as a sunseeker’s playground, while charging full speed into a future where it is also a tech hub and financial powerhouse, with some dubbing the city as “Wall Street South.” From the first land rush in the 1920s to the post-pandemic migration surge a century later, Miami’s real estate story includes fascinating characters, iconic architecture, multiple booms and busts and not one but two great railroad eras — all contributing to the city’s allure as a place to live, and where institutional-quality capital is increasingly eager to invest. Population, job momentum Miami has enjoyed one of the strongest multifamily markets in the country for roughly the past decade. A blend of population growth and job creation forms the backbone of Miami’s resilient rental market. Miami-Dade County added over 64,000 net new residents as of July 2024, driven almost entirely by international newcomers. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county saw 123,835 international arrivals, offsetting the 67,000 locals who left. Behind that growth is an unprecedented business boom. Lured by Florida’s business-friendly environment …
Over the past five years, the national office market has faced its fair share of challenges: hybrid work reshaping demand, a surge in sublease spaces and rents stagnating in many cities. But Miami’s office market? It’s been a standout performer, and it’s soaring, not just holding its ground. From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Miami began to separate itself from other major metros. While cities across the country struggled to coax tenants back to the office, Miami became a hotspot for companies eager to expand. What began as an influx of interest from financial firms, law practices and tech companies quickly evolved into a significant shift. These weren’t temporary moves — these were long-term leases and major investments. Since 2020, Miami-Dade has absorbed nearly 3 million square feet of office space. Unlike other cities where growth has fluctuated, Miami’s demand has been steady. Even as leasing slowed down nationally in 2023, Miami managed to hold strong. By 2024, leasing activity picked up again, and the first quarter of 2025 saw impressive absorption numbers. A major factor in Miami’s success is its disciplined approach to office development. While other markets overbuilt, leading to high vacancy rates, Miami’s new supply has …
South Florida remains one of the most attractive markets for multifamily investment in the United States, driven by population growth, job creation and limited rental supply. While 2024 saw slower transaction volumes, fundamentals suggest a rebound is coming in 2025. This article explores trends in investment sales, debt capital markets and joint venture (JV) equity, highlighting how strategic structuring and strong relationships are driving activity in today’s selective capital environment. Poised for sales growth Miami’s multifamily market continues to thrive, fueled by population growth, high rental demand and major developments. The city’s job market, with an unemployment rate of just 2.4 percent, is expected to grow by over 18,000 positions in 2025. Corporate expansions — like Citadel, MSC Group, Nvidia, Microsoft and Shopify — have driven demand for luxury rentals, while vacancy rates remain under 5 percent. With home prices rising over 70 percent in the past five years and mortgage rates more than doubling, homeownership is out of reach for many. As a result, demand for luxury rentals remains strong, especially in suburban areas where transit-oriented developments are emerging. One standout is Terra’s $1 billion Upland Park in West Miami-Dade County. In partnership with the county, the project includes …
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Universities, Student Housing Properties in Southeast Contend with Hurricane Helene
by John Nelson
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Northwestern Florida on Thursday, Sept. 26, after being upgraded to a major Category 3 storm that afternoon. Widespread damage across a number of Southeastern states followed in its wake, with many areas experiencing flooding, downed trees, power outages and road closures. At least 175 people have died across six states, according to reports by CNN and The New York Times, and officials fear that the death toll is likely to rise with many remaining missing. Hundreds of roads remain closed across the Southeast — especially in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee, which were hit particularly hard by the hurricane — hampering the delivery of supplies, and more than 2 million customers remain without power. Student Housing Business reached out to universities, owners, operators and students across the Southeast to check in on how they fared during the storm and their experience in the aftermath. Owners, Operators Weigh In Denver-based Cardinal Group tracked its communities in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia through Hurricane Helene. “Of those communities, four experienced power outages and several had minor roof leaks and flooding, with the largest impact felt in Asheville and Boone, North Carolina,” says Jenn Cassidy, president of property operations …
Orlando’s multifamily market has experienced softened conditions lately due to a record amount of new supply being built, as well as economic challenges impacting commercial real estate as a whole. Yet, green shoots have emerged as insurance costs continue to ease and interest rates remain steady with downward pressure. Both overall sentiment and renter demand have steadily improved as well. Properties in the multifamily space seeing the most interest these days are those that are high-quality and well-located. Two key multifamily sale transactions that occurred in the second quarter of 2024 were in the Southwest Orlando submarket. This includes the 424-unit Osprey Links at Hunter’s Creek property that sold for $100.6 million, which marked Orlando’s largest multifamily sale this year, and the 296-unit Sonceto Apartments property that sold for $71 million. Investors are flooding back into the market with increasingly more aggressive offers and heightened competition as a result of the still limited available multifamily inventory and notion that supply levels have peaked. However, additional supply will still enter the market in the years to come as developers maintain a positive outlook on Orlando with just over 2,000 units across six buildings delivered by the end of the second quarter …
The commercial real estate market, particularly in the retail leasing sector, has been navigating a complex and dynamic landscape over the past few years. With a blend of high demand, limited supply and fluctuating economic variables, the Orlando market presents both challenges and opportunities for developers, landlords and tenants alike. High demand, limited supply One of the most prominent trends in the Orlando retail leasing market is the high demand for quality retail spaces. Retailers are eager to establish and expand their presence in this thriving market, driven by a growing population and increasing consumer spending. However, the inventory of quality existing retail bays is incredibly scarce. This scarcity has created a competitive environment where desirable locations are quickly snapped up, often at premium prices. The supply-demand imbalance has pushed developers to sharpen their pencils and critically analyze the feasibility of new projects. Despite the strong demand, many deals struggle to pencil out due to the high costs of construction materials and labor. These costs have remained elevated, making it challenging for developers to achieve a satisfactory return on investment. As a result, some projects are delayed or shelved, further constraining the supply of retail space. Housing spurs development The …
Orlando’s industrial market has enjoyed consistently low vacancy, robust new development and significant rent growth year after year since the onset of the pandemic. While fundamentals remain strong, project deliveries and changing size preferences for leased space have caused a shift in activity. From an economic perspective, Orlando is well-positioned. The unemployment rate has decreased by 30 basis points since first-quarter 2024, reaching 2.9 percent, notably lower than the national average of 4.3 percent. Over the past year, nonfarm employment has grown by 1.4 percent with construction employment seeing a significant increase of 2.9 percent during the same period. Small to mid-sized spaces For the past 20 consecutive quarters, Orlando has maintained positive net absorption. Small bay and other tenants under 200,000 square feet have dominated leasing activity, while demand for spaces over 200,000 square feet has significantly slowed. As a result, year-to-date absorption is just over 800,000 square feet, representing a 40.8 percent decrease compared to 2023’s midyear total and the lowest midyear total since 2020. This slowdown in absorption is accompanied by a rise in vacancy rates, which have increased by 1 percent since last year and 3 percent since 2022. ATR Commercial Flooring took 150,600 square feet …
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