Market Reports

Historically, the fortunes of many commercial real estate endeavors in Houston have been tied to the energy sector.  But as developers and leasing agents across all major property types know, the market now boasts a much more diverse set of growth drivers, including regional distribution, healthcare, aerospace/defense and financial services. Each of these industries fuels growth in development and absorption of commercial space, not to mention housing. Yet even to the layman, these industries are as different as the commercial structures that house their operations. And taken collectively, the performances of Houston’s commercial properties  do not always paint a wholistic picture of the larger economy. That holds especially true in times of larger macroeconomic disruption like the present.  Texas Real Estate Business recently reached out to developers/owners, as well as leasing agents/managers who are deeply immersed in the Houston multifamily, industrial, retail, office and mixed-use sectors. By posing a quintet of questions that are — almost — equally applicable to each of these asset classes, we uncover insights on how the five major food groups are performing on a relative basis. Participating in the Q&A are Matt Bronstein, vice president at BHW Capital (multifamily); Robert Clay, president and co-founder of …

Economic development is, in many ways, the business of facilitating growth. Yet in Texas, thanks to an array of business- and development-friendly policies and laws, influxes of jobs, people and new real estate projects to support them sometimes seem to just happen naturally. When this kind of heavy growth is sustained over time, it can lead to less-affordable housing, more cookie-cutter retail scenes and heavier congestion and pressure on local infrastructure. But it is possible for smaller municipalities to embrace job and population growth with new real estate uses and projects in ways that don’t entirely compromise the historic charm or tranquility that many residents of these cities value. Revitalizing a downtown area — bringing in new businesses, adaptively reusing older buildings, creating pedestrian-friendly networks — is a primary means of marrying those objectives. When a successful downtown revitalization program is executed, the benefits tend to have a domino effect. Elevated foot traffic boosts sales at local businesses, increasing asset values over time and stimulating sales of properties. Other investors take note of the viable business plan, and the rest becomes history. But the whole process often starts with the visions of local business owners and the willingness of local …