While the rest of the country is seeing their commercial real estate markets plummet, Austin has been able to take the down turn in stride. This may be a time for companies to be patient and strategic, but for those with a commercial real estate license, it is a time to be optimistic. Commercial real estate has a history of much more stability than it’s residential counterpart, and that goes double for Austin. Real estate forecasters have predicted gloom and doom, but heightened financial stress on a market creates opportunities for investors. Demand for well-located properties yields multiple offers for investors. It just takes a keen eye and training to turn a profit, and the commercial real estate market is no different.
A Real Capital Analytic report tracked 134 markets and recorded a sales volume of around $1 billion per market in 2007, while only 77 national markets reached that mark in 2008. Austin was in the small minority that went beyond the $1 billion mark in 2008. Sixty-six properties valued at $10 million or more changed hands in the Austin metropolitan area in 2008. Though that’s a 56% drop from 2007, the total value of commercial transactions still topped the $2 billion mark. So, though the rest of the country is having to duck-and-cover, Austin is holding on to a reasonable commercial market.