REI WORKPLACE DAILY - JAN 14, 2026

🚨 Lead Story of the Day

DFW Homebuilders Closed 2025 With Softer Demand (Incentives Still Driving Decisions)

North Texas homebuilding cooled late in 2025 as high rates and affordability pressure kept buyers cautious. Builders leaned harder on incentives (rate buydowns, upgrades, price adjustments) to keep absorption moving, while new starts and annual totals came in lower than prior years. For operators: this is a “selective buyer” market— great product in the right pocket still sells, but pricing power is earned, not assumed.

Source: The Dallas Morning News

⭐ DFW Spotlight

DFW Retail Occupancy Holds Near 95% (Landlords Still Have the Edge in A+ Nodes)

DFW retail posted a third straight year of ~95% occupancy across a large survey of local shopping centers. For anyone chasing storefronts or reposition plays: the best centers aren’t sitting empty, and “good deals” will usually require creative deal structure (TI strategy, phased rollouts, or taking secondary space and upgrading the tenant mix).

Source: Community Impact (citing Weitzman)

Fort Worth Area Prices: Flat Overall, Denton County Drops More (Supply Matters)

Fort Worth-area median prices dipped slightly in 2025—more “flat market” than crash—while Denton County stood out with a bigger decline. The divergence matters: counties with the most new construction and competition can see price pressure first, even when the broader metro stays steady.

Source: The Real Deal

Dallas Office: Positive Absorption Returned, But Vacancy Stayed Sticky

Dallas’ office market showed real stabilization in 2025: positive annual absorption returned for the first time since 2019, development slowed (pipeline at its lowest since 2012), and higher-quality deals kept happening—especially in “trophy” pockets. But vacancy remained elevated across DFW overall, meaning winners are still winning and commodity space still needs a plan (conversion, deep reposition, or price discovery).

Source: The Real Deal

Industrial Keeps Churning Near AllianceTexas: Trammell Crow Files for ~750K SF of New Spec

Trammell Crow filed plans for a new phase at its 35 Eagle development in far north Fort Worth near AllianceTexas: three speculative buildings totaling nearly 750,000 SF. If it proceeds as filed, construction could start in February with delivery targeted for 2027—more proof that the I-35W/Alliance machine is still one of the most aggressive industrial growth zones in the country.

Source: The Real Deal

Permits Watch: Big Projects in Motion (Healthcare + Hospitality)

New permits highlight where capital is still moving: a major outpatient tower planned for Fort Worth and an AC Hotel project in Grapevine— signals for nearby land, service retail, and workforce housing demand.

Source: Community Impact

🏬 Retail / Land Play (DFW)

Retail Gravity: Costco Confirms Forney Opening (March 2026)

Costco’s “coming soon” list confirms Forney, TX is slated for March 2026—classic catalyst for adjacent pads, fuel, quick-serve, and surrounding retail rent comps.

Source: Costco (New Locations)

Source: MySA (project details)

🌎 National / Macro (What to Underwrite Today)

Macro Note

No separate national macro item was included in today’s notes beyond the local DFW drivers above.

📌 Deal / Financing Note

Market Reality Check

No standalone deal/financing note was included in today’s notes beyond the items above.

🏷️ Listings

🛠️ Real Estate Hack of the Day

Winterization Checklist (Fast, Cheap, Prevents Big Losses)

Before the next freeze: disconnect hoses, insulate exposed pipes, test shutoff valves, and pre-stage emergency supplies for tenants/PM teams. A single burst line can wipe out months of cashflow.

Source: Buildium – Winterizing Your Rental Property Checklist

😄 Quick Real Estate Joke

Why did the investor bring a ladder to the open house?
Because they heard the returns were “through the roof.”

✨ Motivation

Reminder: In a selective market, clean execution beats optimistic assumptions.

📅 Upcoming DFW Real Estate Events (Next 4 Weeks)