December 2025 – Mary Doetterl, Research Director, Lee & Associates – Houston Across the country, aging gas stations are emerging as valuable redevelopment opportunities for investors seeking well-located retail or mixed-use sites. These properties typically sit on high-visibility corners with strong traffic patterns, ideal ingredients for long-term commercial success. Yet repositioning old fuel sites requires careful attention to environmental, regulatory, and market-driven challenges. The first major hurdle is environmental remediation. Older underground storage tanks…
FUELING THE FUTURE: TRANSITIONING FROM GAS STATIONS TO MULTI-ENERGY HUBS
November 2025 – Mary Doetterl, Research Director, Lee & Associates – Houston The fuel station of tomorrow is evolving far beyond the gas pump. As electric vehicles (EVs) and alternative fuels gain market share, forward-thinking operators are transforming traditional gas stations into multi-energy hubs that cater to every type of traveler. “Most recently, consumer behavior is shifting more toward convenience, sustainability, and digital integration… gas stations will remain highly relevant as multi-service hubs,” says…
HOUSTON INDUSTRIAL & MANUFACTURING CAPITAL MARKETS: GROWTH ANCHORED BY PORT AND EXPANDING SUBMARKETS
October 2025 – Mary Doetterl, Research Director, Lee & Associates – Houston Houston’s industrial market continues to demonstrate resilience in 2025, even as broader capital markets navigate elevated interest rates and tighter lending conditions. Investor focus remains strong on modern logistics and distribution facilities, while manufacturing growth in the North and Northwest submarkets is adding an important new dimension to the region’s industrial history. According to Lee & Associates’ latest Houston industrial report, citywide net…
Beyond Distribution Warehouses: How AI Manufacturing Is Redefining Houston’s Industrial Landscape
September 2025 | Mary Doetterl, Research Director, Lee & Associates – Houston Houston Industrial: From Petrochemical to High-Tech For decades, Houston’s industrial history has been defined by petrochemical adjacency and logistics linked to the Port of Houston. But a new wave of demand is emerging. One powered not by energy commodities, but by artificial intelligence. With Apple, Nvidia, and Foxconn investing heavily in AI server factories and supercomputing facilities in Houston, the…
Why Office Sublease Space Is Gaining Attention in 2025
July 2025 | Mary Doetterl, Research Manager, Lee & Associates – Houston As Houston’s office market continues to evolve, sublease space is taking center stage for tenants seeking agility, affordability, and speed to occupancy. “Subleases give landlords both a challenge and an opportunity,” says Blake Virgilio, Principal at Lee & Associates. “While it introduces more competition, it also lets us reposition space creatively and work directly with subtenants looking for long-term solutions.” Cost…
Through Fresh Eyes: What Summer Interns Are Learning About CRE
June 27, 2025 | Mary Doetterl, Research Manager, Lee & Associates – Houston Each summer, a new class of interns steps into the world of commercial real estate and for many, it’s their first deep dive into the industry. At Lee & Associates, our research team has welcomed numerous interns over the years, each bringing a fresh perspective that both challenges and energizes our work. This season’s interns joined our research group and quickly…
Inside the Warehouse of the Future: How Houston Is Becoming a Logistics Tech Hub
June 2025 | Mary Doetterl, Research Manager, Lee & Associates – Houston Houston has long been defined by its energy industry and global shipping routes. But now, a quieter evolution is positioning the city as a rising logistics technology hub and industrial developers are racing to keep up. With e-commerce growth, reshoring trends, and increasingly tech-savvy tenants, Houston’s warehouses are becoming more than just storage, they’re becoming smart logistics centers. New developments across the…
Border Boom Could Bust: How Tariffs Risk ‘Damaging A Real Good Thing’
April 13, 2025 | HOUSTON, TEXAS | Maddy McCarty and Billy Wadsack Lee & Associates’ Enrique Volkmer calls himself “the happiest guy in town” after returning to his hometown of Laredo in 2016 to broker real estate deals for third-party logistics companies and other industrial tenants. In just the first two months of this year, Volkmer racked up 11 new lease signings. Those deals have become exponentially bigger and more plentiful since the United States-Mexico-Canada…
Laredo, Texas: The World’s Largest Port, A Supply Chain Powerhouse
April 29, 2025 | HOUSTON, TEXAS | By Enrique Volkmer, Lee & Associates Laredo, Texas, has emerged as one of the largest ports in the world by volume and crossings, driven by its robust infrastructure and strategic location. According to 2023 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Port of Laredo was responsible for handling an aggregate amount of product valued at about $320 billion, the most in the country by that metric….