2023 News Archive

The resiliency of the Houston retail market is being tested while absorbing the three-year high of new supply and dealing with an uncertain economy. A total of 4.5 million SF of new supply was delivered to the Houston market in 2021 and 2022. In 2023 the new construction pipeline expects to deliver approximately 4.9 million SF. Furthermore, the vacancy rate of 4.9% remained unchanged in 3Q23. The lack of construction in 2022 is a leading cause of the current vacancy rate. However, with most of the current new construction to be completed by the end of 2023, we forecast the vacancy rate to level off over the next few quarters.

Houstona€™s population growth in the past 12 months has motivated retailers to launch and expand local businesses. This increased growth has elevated the Houston retail market to the third strongest market in the nation when it comes to new demand. The Houston retail market availability rate is 5.7% as of 2Q23, which balances out the high demand and low supply within the last year. To keep up with residential growth, more than 4.2 million SF of new retail space is expected to be delivered to the market this year, which is 3 times more than what was delivered in 2022. In 2024, we will determine if the market will be able to absorb that much new inventory without affecting rental rates.

The Houston retail market looks promising as it works to keep up with rooftops and strong consumer demand. Houston retail is the 5th largest market in the US with over 428 million SF supporting its robust, growing population. With only 20.6 million SF available, its 4.8% vacancy is primarily older centers looking for new life. This lack of new product has motivated tenants and developers to deliver over 993,000 SF in 1Q23 and start construction on over 4.5 million SF of new retail projects, which is already over 60% pre-leased. The Houston region will continue to be a bright spot in the quarters ahead as jobs and growth continue to attract all ages to move to Houston or one of its many suburban master-planned communities. Houstona€™s retail sector remains optimistic due to its location, strong population, household growth, and affordability.