Austin investment surprise—one of the world’s top cities to watch

​​​​​AUSTIN – Austin is rife with investment opportunity.

The city has one of the most desirable rental markets in the U.S., and commercial real estate is booming, too, according to the 2017 Investment Intensity Index​ from global financial firm JLL.

The index "compares the volume of direct commercial real estate investment in a city over a three-year period" to get an idea of how fast a market is growing.

JLL analyzed 150 global cities total to determine the top 30; Austin makes a surprise appearance at No. 23, ranking above strong international markets like Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Toronto.

The evidence? From 2014–​2016, commercial real estate investment in Austin totaled $9.5 billion, and Austin’s GDP was an impressive $113 billion.

Based on those figures, JLL calculates the city’s "investment intensity" at 8.5 percent. To put that into perspective, New York’s investment intensity is 10.6 percent.