A recent survey of commercial real estate investors ranked Austin as the top target among Americas metros. Austin jumped two spots to number one, followed by Dallas, in CBRE’s 2021 Americas Investor Intentions Survey. The survey found that more investors are prioritizing secondary Sun Belt markets in 2021, particularly those with strong job and population growth prospects.

“Austin has become the clear darling of investors in the post-pandemic world,” said Russell Ingrum, vice chairman with CBRE. “What makes Austin attractive to investors is the unique combination of a high-quality lifestyle, high volume growth on a percentage basis, some barriers to new supply and a tech-forward economy and workforce. Austin also benefits from leveraging its smaller numbers. For example, if Dallas and Austin each attract a new company that brings 500 new jobs, the impact on Austin is significantly larger due to the smaller size of the market. The last decade benefitted Austin tremendously and I believe the next decade will be even better.”

The survey findings also reveal the sustained appeal of tech-driven markets, with Austin ranking among the top 10 markets for the sixth straight year.