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Viking Enterprise LLC is part of eXp Commercial, an agent-led, cloud-based commercial real estate brokerage with agents across the globe.

Your Trusted Katy / Fulshear & Houston Commercial Real Estate Brokerage

Viking Enterprise LLC is part of eXp Commercial, an agent-led, cloud-based commercial real estate brokerage with agents across the globe.

Looking to invest, buy, sell or lease? We can help.

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Looking to invest, buy, sell or lease? We can help.

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eXp Commercial - Viking Enterprise Team's real estate network provides unparalleled commercial real estate services to Tenants and Landlords around the Katy- Houston area. Our knowledge, experience, and reputation sets us apart from many firms.

A commercial property owner might have various plans that would necessitate the services of a commercial real estate broker. Some of the common scenarios include:

1. Selling the Property: If the owner decides it’s time to sell the property, a commercial real estate broker can help determine the market value, market the property effectively, and negotiate with potential buyers to get the best possible price.

2. Leasing Space: For property owners looking to lease out part or all of their commercial space, a broker can help find suitable tenants, negotiate lease terms, and ensure the lease agreements meet all legal requirements and serve the owner’s best interests.

3. Acquiring More Properties: Owners looking to expand their portfolio would benefit from a broker's knowledge of the market, access to listings, and negotiation skills to secure additional properties at favorable terms.

4. Property Management: While not all brokers offer this service, some commercial real estate brokers or their affiliates offer property management services. This can be particularly appealing for owners who prefer a hands-off approach or are managing properties from a distance.

5. Market Analysis: Owners considering future developments, renovations, or rebranding of their property might engage a broker for a comprehensive market analysis. This helps in understanding current market trends, the demand for different types of spaces, and potential returns on investment for various strategies.

6. Refinancing: In situations where a property owner is looking to refinance their property, a commercial real estate broker can provide valuable insights into the property’s current market value, assist in gathering necessary documentation, and even help in finding the best financing options.

7. Partnership or Investment Opportunities: Owners interested in exploring partnerships, joint ventures, or seeking investors for expansion or development projects might use a broker to find and vet potential partners or investors.

8. Consulting on Zoning and Use Changes: When contemplating a change in the use of the property or dealing with zoning issues, a broker with experience in local regulations and the specific property type can provide guidance and strategic planning assistance.

9. Exit Strategy Planning: For owners looking to plan an exit strategy from their investment, whether it’s through a strategic sale or a gradual winding down of operations, brokers can provide market insights, timing advice, and valuation services to optimize the exit process.

In any of these scenarios, the expertise and services provided by a commercial real estate broker can save the property owner time and money, while also providing access to a wider network of potential buyers, tenants, and industry professionals. Give us a call today!

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🏬 Retail Real Estate Surged in 2025—Here’s What Investors Missed 💰

🛍️ Retail Performance in 2025: Why Shopping Centers Beat the Odds 📈

Commercial Real Estate

January 14, 2026•3 min read

🛍️ Retail Performance in 2025: Why Shopping Centers Beat the Odds 📈

🏬 Retail Real Estate Surged in 2025—Here’s What Investors Missed 💰

Retail Performance in 2025: A Sector That Defied Expectations

The U.S. retail sector entered 2025 facing skepticism. Headlines focused on store closures, retailer bankruptcies, and a slowing labor market. Yet by year-end, retail emerged as one of commercial real estate’s top-performing asset classes—outpacing expectations and attracting renewed investor capital.

Strong consumer spending, accelerated leasing activity, historically constrained new supply, and improving investor sentiment combined to make the second half of 2025 one of the strongest retail periods of the past decade.

Consumer Spending Anchored Retail Stability

Consumer spending remained the foundation of retail resilience. Retail sales increased approximately 3.5% year-over-year, supported primarily by higher-income households. Importantly, middle- and lower-income consumers maintained employment and modest spending growth, preventing a broader pullback in physical retail demand.

Cooling inflation—ending the year near 2.8%—helped stabilize purchasing power. This moderation allowed retailers to regain confidence in brick-and-mortar locations, reinforcing demand for well-located neighborhood centers, grocery-anchored assets, and service-oriented retail.

Leasing Activity Accelerated in the Back Half of 2025

Retail leasing momentum improved dramatically in the second half of the year. While early 2025 experienced negative absorption driven by bankruptcy-related closures, vacant spaces were rapidly backfilled.

Retail move-ins reached their highest six-month total since 2022, pushing median lease-up time down to a record-low seven months. With fewer announced closures, the pipeline of future vacancies fell to a two-year low—an important signal of improving tenant health and market balance.

New Retail Supply Remains Historically Constrained

Retail development remains one of the most supply-disciplined sectors in commercial real estate. Construction starts fell below 43 million square feet, while completions remained under 55 million square feet, marking the weakest development cycle in decades.

Elevated construction costs, zoning challenges, and tight financing conditions continue to suppress new supply. For existing owners, this dynamic supports occupancy, rent durability, and long-term asset performance—particularly in high-growth Sun Belt markets.

Rent Growth Slowed—but Remains Structurally Healthy

National retail rents increased 1.9% year-over-year, reaching a record $25.69 per square foot. While this marked the slowest pace of growth in more than ten years, the moderation reflects normalization rather than weakness.

Southern markets led rent growth at 2.3%, driven by population inflows, income growth, and household formation. Since 2019, retail rents in the South have increased approximately 28%, reinforcing the region’s long-term investment appeal.

Investor Demand Returned in Force

Retail emerged as a preferred asset class in 2025 as investors rotated away from challenged office and oversupplied multifamily sectors. More than $66 billion in retail assets traded during the year—exceeding transaction volumes from both 2023 and 2024.

Pricing reached a record $142 per square foot, supported by consistent NOI growth and limited new supply. Entering 2026, competitive bidding and improving financing conditions suggest continued upward pressure on well-located retail values, according to analysis from CoStar Analytics.

Bottom Line for Investors and Owners

Retail exited 2025 with strong fundamentals, disciplined supply, and renewed investor confidence. While challenges remain at the tenant level, the broader sector has proven far more durable than expected.

For investors, business owners, and lenders, retail’s performance underscores a key takeaway heading into 2026: well-located, necessity-based retail is no longer a recovery story—it is a stability and pricing story.

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Bill Rapp, CRE Broker

I am a Houston commercial broker, with residential experience, as well as a lending background. I have been in the real estate industry for 14 years and counting, and I have worked in many roles within the industry and each has given me a unique perspective of the industry as a whole. My dedication to clients is rooted in this industry knowledge, but also includes my desire to go the extra mile in networking to source off market opportunities for my clients. Me and my team at eXp Commercial have a cutting-edge technology package that gets the widest exposure for each transaction. eXp Commercial offers a nationwide network through which we can deliver the best exposure and professional advice to achieve our clients’ goals while also minimizing their risk. Clients appreciate my methodical method of discovery in our initial consultation. Through which we can get to know each other and their specific’s business’s needs and objectives on a granular level. Our processes help navigate each transaction and its potential pitfalls through to a successful outcome for our clients. It is my stated goal to provide our clients with extensive market analysis and expertise that fosters innovative solutions and rewarding commercial real estate opportunities.

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eXp Commercial - Viking Enterprise team real estate network provides unparalleled commercial real estate services to Tenants and Landlords around the greater Katy & Houston MSA area. Our knowledge, experience, and reputation sets us apart from many firms.