Reposting my LinkedIn Thoughts here:

A fun week in Austin retail with a trip to NY ICSC thrown in--

As always, the trip to New York was great. I always value the chance to see many of my clients and fellow brokers/partners in person. Nicole Wimberly and I always gain a great deal from the show. Here's my thoughts on Austin retail after the show:

1) The depth of very active tenants is definitely down, reflecting what I've seen in Austin. In addition, these tenants have become more selective and dogmatic on their real estate deals, making significant demands from landlords as part of their deal expectations.

2) Despite the above, we are still fortunate in Austin to be highly desired by tenants as an expansion market. Many tenants and brokers I talked to expressed that Austin was a primary market where they want to grow. This was great to hear as I am expecting to see some turnover in the first half of next year with some centers and possibly seeing more vacancy in Austin as more aggressive ownership comes in on multiple centers around town.

3) I got the chance to check out some interesting retailers while in New York. I had a couple of brokers turn me on to some retailers that may be looking to expand into Austin who started in Brooklyn or New York. I enjoyed these new concepts greatly and really think they're going work in Austin -- now, the ever present challenge of actually finding them space here!

Finally, on a personal note, I just want to express my appreciation to all my colleagues and friends in the industry, many of whom I was able to see in New York. I've said this before, but relationships are most important part of our business (and honestly, life in general) and it's good for the soul to be able to nurture these relationships in person.

Have a great week!

John