Houston has one of the best overall real estate outlooks in the nation for 2025, according to the annual Emerging Trends in Real Estate report. 

The report, by PwC and the Urban Land Institute, included interviews with more than 450 people and survey responses from 1,600 individuals in real estate, building, lending, construction, investing, property management and related fields.

Experts were asked to rate markets in categories such as investment potential and development opportunities, creating an overall real estate prospects score for 81 metro areas. 

The areas with the best overall real estate prospects are, in order: Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, Houston, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Nashville, Orlando, Atlanta, Boston, Salt Lake City and Phoenix.

This is the first year Houston has cracked the top 10 in the report rankings. The report noted Greater Houston’s population growth and diversified economic drivers. “The metro area’s existing energy infrastructure and dominant port system position it to be a leader in the nation’s transition to green energy,” the analysis said. “Additionally, its unique lack of formal zoning laws makes for a particularly development-friendly environment. These key benefits, along with the area’s strong trends should continue to attract investment.”  

The report also rated the investment prospects of various housing types on a scale of one to five, with five being the best. It gave single-family housing a 3.6, down slightly from last year’s 3.68 but up from 3.32 the previous year.