Insights
Practical, data-driven analysis of the Austin commercial real estate market — written for owners, developers, and investors. Each piece answers a real question with current, dated numbers and the way an agent with an engineering and finance background actually works the problem. No hype, no guarantees.
Leasing Industrial Space in Austin: Rates, Lease Structures & Terms (2026)
Metro asking rents at $12.85–$14.43/SF NNN depending on the data set — flex $18.92, warehouse $12.74, manufacturing $11.79 — plus opex loads, 3.5–3.75% escalations, and the TI, free-rent, and teaser-rate concessions record vacancy puts on the table.
Read the numbers →Industrial Tenant Representation in Austin: What a Tenant Rep Does — and Who Pays
The tenant rep's job from requirement to signed lease, why the landlord — not the tenant — typically pays the fee, when to engage (9–18 months out), and why record vacancy makes representation most valuable right now.
Read the playbook →Austin Multifamily Cap Rates: Where Deals Are Pricing (2026)
Market cap rate ~5.7% (CoStar), stabilized deals clearing 5.5–6.5% (Northmarq), median $193,100/unit — the sourced Q1 2026 numbers, why Q1 was the strongest sales start since 2022, and what the halving delivery pipeline means for pricing.
Read the numbers →Is My Property in Austin's ETJ? How to Check — and Why It Matters
An "Austin, TX" address proves nothing, and the tax bill can't distinguish ETJ from county — the ETJ levies no city tax. The reliable ways to confirm jurisdiction, why split tracts are common, and what each answer means for platting, utilities, and value.
Read the answer →Buying Land in the Austin ETJ: What Changes After You Close
No city zoning and no city property tax — but Austin still controls platting, utilities aren't guaranteed, and HB 2512 changed who can petition out. What an ETJ land buyer actually takes on, with a pre-close diligence checklist.
Read the answer →ETJ Release: The Window Is Narrowing — Who Still Qualifies in 2026
The petition path still works — the Texas Supreme Court has backed it — but eligibility tightened once already (HB 2512's 12-acre rule), 20+ cities are suing, and the Legislature reconvenes January 2027. Why filing under today's rules beats waiting.
Read the analysis →Austin Commercial Real Estate Cap Rates by Property Type (2026)
Industrial ~7.5%, multifamily ~5.2–6.0%, retail 6.4% (strip centers 6.5–8.5%), NNN 5.5–7.0% — the mid-2026 number for every asset class, dated and sourced, and why the citywide "average" misleads.
Read the numbers →How to Get Your Land Out of a City's ETJ in Texas
SB 2038 lets you petition out of a city's ETJ in ~45 days with no city discretion — but HB 2512 (Sept 2025) added eligibility limits. Who still qualifies, and whether leaving actually helps your land.
Read the guide →How Much Is My Development Land Worth in Austin?
The clearest breakdown of how Austin development land is actually priced — per acre, by entitlement, and by highest-and-best-use — and why residual value, not raw comps, sets the number.
Read the breakdown →How to Sell Raw Land to a Developer in Austin (Step-by-Step)
The five-step process for taking raw Austin acreage to a developer sale — establishing highest-and-best-use, pricing on a residual model, packaging the vision, and reaching active buyers.
Read the steps →Austin Industrial Cap Rates & Market Outlook (Q2 2026)
Market cap rate ~7.5%, vacancy 14.1% (highest among the 50 largest U.S. industrial markets), rents flat — current, dated 2026 Q2 figures and what they mean for buyers, sellers, and owners. Refreshed quarterly.
Read the numbers →What Is a Good Cap Rate for an NNN Retail Property in Texas?
The direct answer cautious net-lease investors are searching for — current Texas NNN ranges by tenant credit and lease term, plus live Austin CoStar figures (6.4% market cap rate, 3.4% vacancy).
Read the answer →How Does a 1031 Exchange Work for Texas Commercial Property?
The 45- and 180-day deadlines, what counts as like-kind, the identification rules, and the moves that quietly blow up exchanges — a plain-English 2026 walkthrough for Texas owners trading up.
Read the guide →How to Buy an Industrial Building in Austin: A Buyer's Playbook
From defining your buy box to financing (SBA 504 from 10% down), sourcing off-market, underwriting tenancy and basis, and due diligence — the step-by-step way to acquire Austin industrial without overpaying.
Read the playbook →What Is a Good Cap Rate for Austin Retail Strip Centers?
Strip centers clear ~6.5–8.5% — wider than single-tenant NNN — because you're buying rollover, not a rent check. Current Austin vacancy by center type (strip: 6.6% vs 3.4% market) and the rollover math buyers miss.
Read the breakdown →What Multifamily Developers Look For in an Austin Land Site
Density, utilities, entitlements, floodplain, and the residual math — how an apartment developer decides what your tract is actually worth to them, and how to make it worth more.
Read the breakdown →Have a property question the articles don't cover?
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