BY BRANDI SMITH

When oil prices started to drop a few years ago, they pulled Houston’s economy down with them. It took a big toll on the city built on black gold. Late in 2017, a barrel of crude started to
become more valuable, helping Texas’ largest city bounce back.

That rebound is being noticed in just about every sector of the economy, including commercial real estate lending.

“We’re starting to see an uptick in transactions, in buyers and investors looking and more actively approaching properties,” says Bill Dampier, vice president of commercial lending for City Bank. “I think the increase in the price of oil has re-energized the market. It has given investors more optimism in regard to kicking the tires and looking for good buying opportunities.”

Beyond the city limits of Houston and even the borders of Texas, Dampier says there is a lot of capital out there, which means competition among investors. Additionally, it’s likely interest rates will only continue to climb and real estate isn’t getting any cheaper. That means finding a deal might take a bit more effort than it has in the past.

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