Investors Turn Attention to Shopping Centers That Proved Staying Power in Pandemic

Investors who have gobbled up billions in North Texas commercial properties are adding more retail buildings to their shopping list. Early in the pandemic, industrial and apartment properties were top picks for investors who are spending billions of dollars on Dallas-Fort Worth real estate.

Almost $47 billion in D-FW investment properties was purchased in 2021, mostly warehouses and rental communities.

But two years after COVID-19 hit the market, more retail properties are trading as buyers look for opportunities in one of the country’s fastest-growing metro areas.

In just the last few weeks, almost a dozen local shopping centers have changed hands. And property brokers say there are more deals pending for 2022.

“I think the activity level we are seeing will certainly continue,” said Dallas property broker David Disney, who has just handled several local shopping center sales. “The shopping centers have performed a lot better during COVID than investors realized.

“They see retail is here to stay, and demand is exceeding supply.”

Disney Investment Group just brokered the sale of shopping centers in West Dallas, McKinney and Irving with almost 300,000 square feet of space.

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