LAS VEGAS — For the second consecutive year, Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) has claimed the top spot in the rankings of markets to watch in terms of overall real estate prospects, according to the Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2026 report, which is jointly produced every year by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and accounting firm PwC. Houston came in at No. 5 on the list after securing the third-place ranking in 2025. For the second straight year, Austin failed to crack the Top 10. In explaining the top ranking, ULI and PwC cited familiar talking points, such as DFW’s business-friendly community and leadership, the metroplex’s accessibility and relatively affordable cost of living. Although burdened by a high overall office vacancy rate, DFW remains a national leader in office-to-multifamily conversion projects and has seen resurgent absorption within the Class A segment of the office market, the report noted. Dallas proper is also emerging as a regional financial hub, as evidenced by “the pending launch of the Texas Stock Exchange in downtown Dallas, along with local expansions of the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ.” The real estate community remains bullish on Houston due to the exceptional population growth throughout Harris County …
MCKINNEY, TEXAS — Kansas City-based developer VanTrust Real Estate will develop a 511,202-square-foot industrial project in McKinney, located north of Dallas. The project represents Phase I of a larger, 42-acre development known as 121 Commerce Park. Phase I will consist of two buildings that will span 241,561 and 269,641 square feet. Project partners include Evans General Contractors, architect GSR Andrade, civil engineer Kimley-Horn and leasing agent JLL. Construction of Phase I is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026 and to last about a year.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Karlin Real Estate has acquired Echo, a 274-unit apartment building located just outside of downtown Austin. Echo offers one- and two-bedroom units that according to Apartments.com range in size from 569 to 1,083 square feet. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, business center, café, outdoor lounge, grilling stations and pet facilities. Patton Jones, Andrew Dickson, Brian O’Boyle Jr. and Brian Murphy of Newmark represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. Jonathan Firestone, Blake Thompson and Travis Bailey, also with Newmark, arranged acquisition financing on behalf of Karlin.
FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS — CooperWynn Capital, a Utah-based capital markets advisory firm, has arranged a fixed-rate loan of an undisclosed amount for the refinancing of the 103-room Fredericksburg Inn & Suites in Central Texas. Amenities include complimentary breakfast, an outdoor pool with a slide, volleyball pool and more than 3,700 square feet of meeting and event space. The borrower, Croesus Hotels LLC, bought the select-sertvice hotel in 2004 and subsequently invested more than $5 million in capital improvements. The direct lender was not disclosed.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — An undisclosed tenant has signed a 101,000-square-foot industrial lease at 71 Logistics Center, a 215,912-square-foot speculative facility located near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Building features include 32-foot clear heights, 185-foot truck court depths, 2,640 square feet of office space and parking for 142 cars (expandable to 262) and 54 trailers. Ace Schlameus and Travis Secor of JLL represented the landlord, Atlanta-based MDH Partners, in the lease negotiations. Brett Arabie of Cushman & Wakefield represented the tenant.
TERRELL, TEXAS — Main Square Development has announced that the company has received approval from the Terrell City Council for the development of Terra Nova, a new $3 billion master-planned community. Situated roughly 30 miles east of Dallas, the development will feature 1,200 multifamily units and a 48-acre mixed-use district, as well as 3,600 single-family homes. The mixed-use component of the development will include 200,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and offices anchored by a main square. Terra Nova will also feature 145 acres of parks and trails, including 27 neighborhood parks connected by 30 miles of biking and hiking trails, with an additional 220 acres of open natural space. The first phase will include a neighborhood pool and amenity center, and a regional amenity center will be added in a future phase. Project plans include 15 phases over the next 20 years. Plano, Texas-based Main Square is working with the Terrell Independent School District to identify locations for future elementary and middle schools that will ensure Terra Nova’s future residents have access to public education. The developer is also dedicating six acres for new police station and fire department facilities, in addition to one acre reserved for a new …
FRISCO, TEXAS — Wilks Development, the master developer behind the 217-acre Firefly Park mixed-use development in Frisco, is underway on construction of The Noc, a 187-unit multifamily project. Designed by Hord | Coplan | Macht, The Noc will offer studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. Amenities will include a pool, fitness center, coworking and conference spaces, a dog spa and a resident lounge with golf simulators. Andres Construction is the general contractor for the project, construction of which is being financed through a HUD-insured loan that was originated by San Antonio-based Mason Joseph Co. Vertical construction began in late September, and completion is slated for fall 2027.
HOUSTON — Southern Realty Trust, an affiliate of Tannenbaum Capital Group (TCG), has provided $15 million in financing for a retail property in Houston. The property is a seven-story, fully leased complex that is located at the intersection of Houston’s Galleria and River Oaks neighborhoods and is home to Park House Houston, Ciel Restaurant and Fountain Life Longevity Center. The loan is part of a larger $45 million financing package, and the remaining proceeds were provided by another TCG lending affiliate. The borrower is a partnership between local developer John Scott and hospitality developer WoodHouse.
LIVE OAK, TEXAS — Dick’s Sporting Goods has opened a 100,000-square-foot store under its “House of Sport” brand at Live Oak Town Center, a mixed-use development located on the northeastern outskirts of San Antonio. The store, which along with a 300,000-square-foot IKEA and a 79,681-square-foot Floor & Décor will anchor the property, features a climbing wall, outdoor field, golf bays and a multi-sport cage. David Nicolson and Michael Schoenbrun of Weitzman internally represented the landlord in the lease negotiations.
HOUSTON — Locally based brokerage firm Baker Katz has negotiated seven new retail leases for Einstein Bros. Bagels in the greater Houston area. The spaces are located within the Tanglewood and Garden Oaks neighborhoods in Houston proper, as well as in the suburbs of Katy, Conroe, Humble, Tomball and League City. The average deal size is 2,000 square feet. Landlord representatives in the various lease negotiations included CBRE, Excel Commercial, NewQuest, Fidelis, Blue Ox Group and SVN | J. Beard Real Estate.