November 12, 2025
Continental Realty Corporation Expands Into Houston Retail Market With Acquisition Of Commons At Willowbrook
BALTIMORE, MD (November 12, 2025) – Continental Realty Corporation (CRC), a Baltimore-based real estate investment and management company active in 14 states with more than $4.2 billion in Assets Under Management (AUM), has expanded into the Houston, Texas retail market with its acquisition of Commons at Willowbrook, a 442,000 square foot open-air regional power center. Located at 7502-7540 W. FM 1960, the asset features approximately 32 retailers and restaurants and was 75 percent leased at the time of the transaction. Barry Brown and Ryan West of JLL Houston represented the seller. Since the start of 2021, CRC has acquired nearly $1 billion worth of retail real estate.
“Commons at Willowbrook is an institutional-quality, irreplaceable asset positioned within one of the most robust retail nodes in Houston,” said Josh Dinstein, CRC’s Co-Chief Investment Officer. “The center features multiple high-performing anchor tenants and several value-add opportunities based on existing vacancies and below-market rental rates, as well as other operational efficiency measures we plan to implement. The center aligns with our long-term investment strategy of acquiring assets with durable cash flow generated by tenants who dominate their industry and are located in rapidly growing and affluent population centers. Last year, Houston achieved the second highest population increase in the United States, a factor which weighed heavily in our decision.”
Built in 1985 on a nearly 39-acre site at Highway 249 and FM 1960, opposite Willowbrook Mall, Commons at Willowbrook features national and local retailers, professional services, and quick-serve dining options such as Chipotle, DSW, Five Below, and Starbucks Coffee. Each year, the asset attracts 4.3 million customers from a 15-mile radius. Within five miles, nearly 110,000 households have an average income close to $110,000, contributing to a total spending power of almost $12 billion. Research firm Placer.ai ranks the center in the 93rd percentile in sales performance among nearly 4,000 shopping centers operating in Texas.
“Our vertically integrated in-house leasing team will immediately begin work to backfill the anchor vacancy and lease-up the remaining square feet of shop space. This type of opportunity is right in our teams’ strike zone” added Dinstein. “Beyond the leasing repositioning, a key element of our strategy is to pursue pad site parcelization and attract high-quality end-users for available outparcels. We intend to target a variety of dynamic concepts including first-class retailers, food and beverage operators, educational users, healthcare clinics, and other groups that will strengthen tenant mix and create long term value for the asset and the surrounding community” added Blake Dickinson, CRC’s Vice President, Net Lease Strategy.
The Willowbrook submarket continues to demonstrate resilience and long-term potential, given its diverse inventory of nearly six million square feet of retail space. Market rents have steadily increased, and the current lack of new construction has prioritized existing operational assets. Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital, a major employer in the area, is less than one mile from the site, and downtown Houston, with a population of more than 7.3 million, is 30 miles away. Income growth within a three-mile radius of the center is projected to increase by 9.5 percent over the next five years.
Founded in 1960, Continental Realty Corporation is a vertically integrated, privately held commercial real estate and investment company specializing in the acquisition and operation of retail and multifamily properties. CRC owns and manages a diversified, national portfolio of more than eight million square feet of retail space and over 10,000 apartment homes across 14 states, with a total value of more than $4.2 billion. Guided by a commitment to excellence and long-term value creation, CRC combines market insight, disciplined investment strategies, and a people-first approach to deliver exceptional results for investors, residents, and communities.
For additional information, visit www.crcrealty.com.
More Recent News and Coverage
