Trends in Hospitality Real Estate
Top Trends in Florida’s Retail & Hospitality Real Estate Market (2025)
Florida’s commercial landscape is evolving fast in 2025. From retail to hospitality, developers and investors are adapting to changing demands and seizing opportunities. Here are the top trends shaping the market—and where savvy investors are making moves now.
🏬 1. Retail Resilience Amid Tight Inventory
- Low vacancies: South Florida retail vacancies remain between 2.7–3.7%, indicating strong demand (colliers.com, matthews.com).
- Rising rents: Miami retail rents average $45.72/sq ft (up 5.2%), while Palm Beach reaches ~$36/sq ft (colliers.com).
- New development: Central Florida has only ~1 million sq ft of new retail per year, yet Orlando is still absorbing large amounts of retail space .
🏙️ 2. Mixed-Use & Adaptive Reuse Projects
With retail construction limited, mixed-use developments and adaptive reuse projects are on the rise:
- Orlando’s Sunbridge and Seminole Towne Center are being redeveloped into mixed-use hubs with residential, office, and retail space (roireal.estate).
- South Florida is converting malls into apartment-retail hybrids following a national trend (reddit.com).
These projects are popular among buyers seeking walkable communities and convenient retail offerings.
🧳 3. Hospitality & Visitor-Focused Growth
- West Palm Beach: Nearly $10 billion in new construction is underway—including 870 hotel rooms and 700,000 sq ft of retail/restaurant space (wsj.com).
- Northwest Florida (Panhandle): St. Joe Company is expanding boutique and resort lodging near Panama City Beach (en.wikipedia.org).
- Tampa Bay: A $6.5 billion redevelopment will include a new stadium and mixed-use zones in the Historic Gas Plant District (tbbwmag.com).
📊 4. Industrial & Office Driving Retail Demand
- Office rebound: Miami and Tampa are seeing demand for flexible co-working and Class A office space (quantumrealtyadvisors.com).
- Industrial expansion: Warehouses near ports like Miami-Dade and Tampa support retail logistics (quantumrealtyadvisors.com).
This infrastructure supports strong retail and hospitality growth in key urban centers.
🎯 Investor Takeaways
- Look for mixed-use properties near fast-growing residential or office hubs.
- In urban cores, expect higher rents and lower retail vacancies—especially in South Florida.
- Diversifying into hospitality development (hotels, boutique lodges) near beach/tourism zones can boost ROI.
- Development near airports, ports, and universities offers stable long-term demand.
📍 Featured Investment Opportunities
Check out these compelling areas and listings with Laura Graves Real Estate:
- Downtown West Palm Beach: Retail-condo mixed-use with hotel plans—prime for lifestyle investors
- Miami Brickell/River Oaks: Luxury storefronts near new office towers
- Orlando Sunbridge Corridor: Retail nodes within residential/retail master-planned developments
- St. Petersburg Historic District: Retail and entertainment spaces in Gas Plant redevelopment
- Naples Fifth Ave S: Boutique retail spaces commanding high luxury rents
👉 Explore current retail & hospitality listings
Quote from Laura Graves
“Florida’s entertainment and tourism-driven economy keeps retail and hospitality assets in high demand. Investors who align with mixed‑use trends and strong local infrastructure position themselves for long-term success.”— Laura Graves, South Florida real estate expert.
Ready to invest?
Whether you’re exploring retail storefronts, hotel lodgings, or mixed-use developments, I can help you navigate Florida’s top markets and trends.
Contact Laura Graves for expert guidance and current listings.
📞 Call/Text: (786) 457-8001
📧 Email: [email protected]
