Tampa Among Top Targets for Commercial Real Estate Investment in 2026, CBRE Survey Finds

A recent survey of commercial real estate investors ranked Tampa as a top 10 target among U.S. metros. Tampa rose six spots to #7 in CBRE’s 2026 North America Investor Intentions Survey.

Investors are strategically focusing on high-growth Sun Belt markets while also seeking discounted opportunities in gateway cities. Dallas continues to lead as the top investment market for the fifth consecutive year, followed by Atlanta and San Francisco. Several new markets made the top 10 this year, including Charlotte, Nashville, Tampa and Seattle reflecting shifting investor preferences.

“As one of the nation’s fastest‑growing job and population markets, Tampa is poised for a supply-driven multifamily recovery in 2026 and beyond,” said Denny St. Romain, Vice Chairman with CBRE’s Florida Multifamily Capital Markets team. “The metro’s strong in‑migration, diminishing new deliveries and persistent homeownership affordability challenges are expected to accelerate rent growth. Although supply has been constrained by rising costs and shifts in capital, the convergence of shrinking development pipelines, sustained population growth and declining borrowing costs creates an especially attractive investment entry point for multifamily in 2026 and beyond.”

Other Key Findings from CBRE’s 2026 North America Investor Intentions Survey:

• Investor Sentiment: 95% of investors plan to buy more than or as many commercial real estate assets in 2026 as they did last year. This growth will be fueled by additional capital, with 55% of investors planning to increase their capital allocation to real estate this year, up from 48% in 2025. Stabilizing pricing and declining debt costs were cited as key drivers of this increased activity.
• Top Markets: Dallas remains the most attractive market for U.S. investors for the fifth consecutive year. Atlanta ranks second, followed by San Francisco. New entrants to the top 10 include Charlotte, Nashville, Tampa and Seattle.
• Property Types: Multifamily remains the most sought-after property type by a wide margin, with 74% of U.S. investors targeting this sector, followed by industrial & logistics (37%), retail (27%) and office assets (16%).
• Preferred Strategies: Two-thirds of investors favor value-add and core-plus strategies, reflecting a preference for moderate-risk opportunities with higher returns. Core strategies also gained traction, while opportunistic, distressed, and debt strategies saw declines.
• Biggest Challenges: Investors cite uncertainty about long-term interest rates and the reduced size of refinanced loans due to lower capital values as the top challenges in 2026.