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The commercial real estate (CRE) market is evolving, and Winston-Salem is quietly becoming one of the most attractive cities in the Southeast for smart, strategic investment. Whether you're a business owner looking to expand, a developer exploring growth opportunities, or an investor seeking solid returns, Winston-Salem's commercial landscape offers exceptional potential.
📈 Growing Market, Competitive Value
Unlike major metro areas with sky-high prices and oversaturated markets, Winston-Salem offers competitive pricing on properties. According to Cash (2025), North Carolina's real estate market is buoyed by strong population growth and business immigration, trends that are particularly visible in the Triad region.
Winston-Salem is seeing increasing demand for:
- Medical and professional office space
- Industrial and warehouse facilities
- Retail in high-traffic corridors
- Mixed-use and multi-tenant developments
This upward trajectory is driven by favorable market fundamentals. In 2024 alone, 631 new jobs were created locally, supported by $137 million in capital investment, according to the 2024 Year-in-Review by Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. Additionally, 61% of investors in 2024 favored existing buildings, up from 51% in 2023, a signal that investors see immediate value in Winston-Salem's built environment.
🏙 Downtown Revival & Mixed-Use Momentum
From Innovation Quarter to Liberty Street, Winston-Salem's downtown is experiencing a modern renaissance. Developers are increasingly investing in adaptive reuse projects, transforming historic buildings into vibrant, multi-use spaces.
"For my construction team, hands down, Winston-Salem is their favorite market in the country…Winston-Salem is very accommodating," stated a Winston Salem stakeholder, highlighted in the Brookings report. This sentiment underscores the city's supportive approach to growth and development.
That sentiment is echoed by investment volume: in 2024 alone, 70,000 SF of new office space was delivered in the Central Business District, demonstrating strong momentum.
🚚 Industrial Boom in the Triad
Industrial and logistics real estate continues to thrive in Winston-Salem. Strategically located in the Piedmont Triad, the city offers quick access to:
- I-40, I-85, and I-77
- Piedmont Triad International Airport
- A deep labor pool and competitive wage environment
These advantages contributed to the delivery of 810,000 SF of industrial space in 2024. The industrial sector maintained a 7.9% vacancy rate, according to CoStar, with the strongest rent growth in flex spaces and properties near transportation nodes.
Winston-Salem's CRE landscape is evolving. The city is adapting its built environment to meet the demands of a modern economy, offering opportunities for long-term value and community impact.
Whether you're buying, selling, leasing, or developing, we're here to help you navigate Winston-Salem's CRE landscape with data-driven insights and local know-how.
🔗 Sources
Brookings Institution. (2025, March 26). Adapting the built environment to an ever‑changing economy in Winston‑Salem, North Carolina. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/adapting-the-built-environment-to-an-ever-changing-economy-in-winston-salem-north-carolina/ Cash, A.
Cash, A. (2025, August 1). NC's real estate market: Key trends shaping 2025 and beyond. The Carolina Journal. https://www.carolinajournal.com/opinion/ncs-real-estate-market-key-trends-shaping-2025-and-beyond/CoStar (2024). Industrial sector report-Winston‑Salem market data.
Greater Winston‑Salem, Inc.
Greater Winston‑Salem, Inc. (2024, December 12). 2024 year‑in‑review. https://www.winstonsalem.com/2024/12/2024-year-in-reviewCommercial Realty Advisors is proud to have served as the Landlord Representative in a significant development for the region's industrial growth- the transformation of 134 Gildan Drive in Mocksville, NC into the new U.S. manufacturing hub for SBA Home.
Lithuania-based SBA Group, a global leader in furniture manufacturing and logistics, has acquired the 500,000-square-foot facility located in the Davie Industrial Center. The company is investing approximately $70 million to convert the space into a state-of-the-art, highly automated production facility, set to open later this year.
This investment marks SBA's first manufacturing presence in the United States and a remarkable milestone in their global expansion strategy. The new facility is expected to create 250 new jobs in Davie County and generate up to $200 million in annual sales by 2028.
SBA Home, a longtime priority partner of IKEA and exporter of ready-to-assemble furniture to nearly 50 countries, will manufacture bestselling lines including the Kallax storage cubes and Billy bookcases. The Mocksville location provides strategic access to major transit corridors, just off I-40 and within 30 miles of I-77, I-85, and US 421, giving SBA access to half the U.S. population within a day's drive.
In December of 2024, former Governor Roy Cooper described the investment as a significant boost to the local economy, with a potential payroll impact of $13.3 million a year. It also reinforces North Carolina's position as a leader in furniture manufacturing, home to more than 800 furniture companies. Local and state governments supported the project through competitive incentive packages, including a state Job Development Investment Grant, underscoring the site's strategic importance.
SBA Home has already made a strong initial impression in Mocksville and the greater North Carolina community. The company hosted a festive community celebration, funded the construction of a new pickleball facility at Rich Park as a gift to the town, and pledged 200 volunteer hours annually to local initiatives.
John Reece and Steve Vallos were honored to play a pivotal role in this project, serving as Landlord Representatives. They ensured a smooth transition and delivered a space that aligns with SBA's high standards for innovation, sustainability, and efficiency.
"We are proud to contribute to a project that not only strengthens our local economy but also enhances North Carolina's position in advanced manufacturing." - John Reece, Managing Partner at CRA.
👉 View SBA's official announcement on LinkedIn:
🔗 SBA Home | Made in the USA | LinkedIn Post
References
Town of Mocksville. (2025, April 10). SBA Home North Carolina launches in Mocksville with community celebration and big plans for growth. Mocksville, NC Official Website. Retrieved from https://mocksvillenc.org/2025/04/10/sba-home-north-carolina-launches-in-mocksville-with-community-celebration-and-big-plans-for-growth/
White, J. B. (2025, March 23). You're invited: SBA Home NC hosts exclusive event for first U.S. furniture factory. Davie County Blog. https://www.daviecountyblog.com/youre-invited-sba-home-nc-hosts-exclusive-event-for-first-u-s-furniture-factory/
Property Management in a Post COVID-19 World
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 introduced new dangers to office employees. The risk of touching infected surfaces – or breathing contaminated air – can play a dominant role in how diseases spread inside an office environment. As more and more businesses continue to welcome back employees to the office in a post-COVID world, the "new normal" of maintaining procedural and physical environmental changes are just as important now as they were 5 years ago.
Whether it’s coronavirus, influenza, bacterial pneumonia, measles or the common cold, how smartly a building is managed and operated can affect employees’ safety in the workplace. Both immediate quick fixes and long-term plans must be considered to instill a level of confidence in employees that the businesses can function well without compromising their health.
How We Help Businesses Keep Employees Safe
Commercial Realty Advisors’ Property Management division is hard at work to prepare our managed offices for employees’ safe return. Here are some of the changes we initiated:
Doors into common areas are propped open to reduce surfaces employees need to touch, including stairwells, hallways and restrooms. Long term, we will encourage all property owners to install doors that don’t need handles and can swing open both ways by pushing with your foot, shoulder or elbow. We already install motion-activated lights and motion sensors to bathroom fixtures in the buildings we develop and manage (this is also good for the environment) and are encouraging our property owners to do the same.
Our janitorial staff is following all CDC guidelines for safe building maintenance. On-site dayporters disinfect common area touchpoints multiple times a day using Oxivir TB, a hospital grade disinfectant cleaner, and stairwell railings are cleaned two to three times daily at a minimum, depending on traffic. Trash containers were added inside many bathroom doors to dispose of paper towels upon exit to avoid touching door handles. We now offer deep-cleaning add-on services for tenants who request additional maintenance of personal work spaces, including disinfecting desks, chairs, keyboard and computers, phones, etc. as needed. Hand sanitizer stations will be provided in all lobbies and public areas.
Our responsive maintenance team responds to requests as quickly as possible, and limits interactions with tenants by performing building maintenance first thing in the morning. If work must be done during the day, our workers wear protective gear including masks and gloves for protection. Outdoor air ventilation has been adjusted to increase the maximum amount of outside air circulation within the limits of the air handling system.
We request our tenants wear masks in all common areas and we are installing signage for safety protocols. To encourage social distancing, we limit attendance to two people per elevator, two people in the restroom and no more than ten people in conference rooms (space permitting). In appropriate buildings, we have established “one way” traffic direction in stairwells. We reduced the amount of furniture in lobbies and common areas to support social distancing and to minimize waiting.
The Benefit of a Reliable and Experienced Property Management Partner
Managing your own cleaning and maintenance solutions can be an overwhelming responsibility for a property owner or tenant, especially during this challenging time. A reliable maintenance partner can instill confidence in employees, tenants and clients that the business owner cares about safety and comfort.
Commercial Realty Advisors’ Property Management division controls the operations of office, retail, mixed-use, medical office and industrial buildings throughout the Piedmont Triad. Our team currently manages over 15 properties with more than 115 tenants. With many years of experience, we have developed an outstanding reputation as experts in providing innovative and cost-effective solutions to any property management issue. Our maintenance services include:
- On-site dayporter cleaning of common areas
- Deep cleaning personal work spaces
- Exterior building and ground maintenance
- Monthly financial reporting
- Capital improvement recommendation and implementation
- Building income and expense management
- Rent collection
- Lease administration
- Construction management
- Other duties as requested
Working with a respected and reliable property management team not only ensures your work environment remains safe for your employees and customers, but continued maintenance keeps the property as attractive and functional as possible. This leads to high tenant satisfaction and retention rates, sustained building occupancy, and maximized property values for property owners. To ensure the safety of your employees and tenants and secure the best return on your commercial investments, contact a member of our Property Management team today at 336-793-0890.
Filling Your Industrial Space Needs
Is your business looking for an industrial property? There can be a lot to consider during the search process, and some of the items that should be on your checklist are more obvious than others.
Commercial Realty Advisors guides clients through the decision process, helping to identify all the different factors needed to make an ideal selection. We help navigate the commercial real estate process from start to finish.
Take a look at the list of considerations below. How would you rank these as priorities in your search?
Location
- Proximity to manufacturing/distribution/customer base
- Interstate corridors
- Available workforce in the area
- Labor cost for the area
- Zoning
- Incentives (state, county, city)
Size
- Square footage + expansion options
- Clear height
- Bay size
Building Specs
- Use (warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, other)
- Type of building (steel frame, tilt-up concrete)
- Loading (dock doors, drive-in doors)
- Sprinkler system: ESFR or wet
- Office space
- Parking (employee, tractor trailer)
- Outdoor storage
- Temperature control: air turnover, high and low temperatures
- Floor thickness & PSI
- Rail access
- Heavy electrical, significant water needs
- Lighting (LED, HID or fluorescent)
Davie Industrial Center Phase 1 Exterior
Commercial Realty Advisors has been serving the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina since 2006. With SIOR, CCIM, ACIP and LEED certifications, our highly trained brokers have built a reputation of trust and excellence. Contact us today to help you find the industrial space that’s perfectly suited to fit your needs. Steve Vallos is an industrial space expert; he can be reached at steve@commercialrealtync.com or 336.793.0890 ext. 103.
Commercial Realty Advisors, LLC | 336.793.0890 Commercialrealtync.com