BRADENTON, FL, UNITED STATES, January 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Veteran commercial real estate advisor Stan Rutstein of RE/MAX Alliance Group reports that Florida’s commercial market is entering the year with renewed investor confidence, led by industrial, multifamily, and well‑located retail assets across Southwest Florida. “In more than four decades of doing deals, this region’s combination of business growth, lifestyle appeal, and infrastructure investment makes it one of the most compelling commercial markets in the country,” said Stan Rutstein. From Bradenton through Sarasota and along the I‑75 corridor, limited quality inventory and sustained population growth continue to support rental rate stability and long‑term value creation for owners.
Florida Q1 Commercial Market
Across Florida, commercial real estate investment volume accelerated in the first quarter, with national data showing a double‑digit increase in acquisition activity and more than 90 billion dollars deployed into commercial assets, particularly industrial and multifamily. Industrial sales volume rose by roughly a quarter year‑over‑year, while multifamily transactions climbed by more than a third, underscoring investor preference for income‑producing assets in high‑growth states such as Florida.
Office activity remains selective, but single‑asset office deals posted a mid‑teens percentage increase as investors targeted well‑located properties with strong tenancy and value‑add upside. Retail continues to benefit from Florida’s in‑migration and tourism, with service‑oriented and grocery‑anchored centers attracting steady capital even as weaker legacy assets face repositioning pressure.
Southwest Florida and Bradenton Focus
Southwest Florida stands out within the state for its combination of rapid population gains, constrained new construction, and strategic infrastructure investment around Sarasota‑Bradenton International Airport and the I‑75 corridor. Recent analysis highlights the Sarasota–Bradenton region as one of Florida’s fastest‑growing mid‑sized industrial markets, with vacancy near the low‑single digits and small‑bay product experiencing strong absorption over the past five years.
Sarasota’s industrial vacancy has been reported around 2.7 percent, with a fully leased 186,000‑square‑foot, small‑bay industrial park across from the Sarasota‑Bradenton airport illustrating deep user and investor demand for flexible space. Office vacancy in the Sarasota market has been estimated below 5 percent in early 2025, supported by a diversified economy and ongoing rent growth in the 2.5 to 3 percent annual range, conditions that spill over into adjoining Bradenton submarkets.
Population growth in Southwest Florida continues to outpace many competing coastal markets, bolstering neighborhood retail centers, medical office, and mixed‑use projects. A pullback in speculative construction has kept new commercial supply to its lowest level in more than a decade, helping landlords maintain pricing power and positioning well‑located assets in Bradenton and Manatee County for long‑term appreciation.
Stan Rutstein’s Local Expertise
With more than 45 years of national and international business and commercial real estate experience, Stan Rutstein has become one of the most recognized names in Manatee County and the greater Southwest Florida region. His background as a former retail chain CEO gives clients an operator’s perspective on site selection, store performance, and long‑term trade‑area dynamics that is rare among brokerage professionals.
“Clients are not just looking for space; they are looking for the right corner, the right traffic pattern, and the right long‑term story for their business,” Rutstein added. Working under the RE/MAX Alliance Group banner, he represents landlords, tenants, buyers, and sellers in transactions ranging from pad sites and strip centers to office, industrial, and income‑producing investment properties throughout Southwest Florida.
Call to Action and Contact
Rutstein encourages owners, investors, and expanding businesses to reassess their real estate strategies in light of tightening vacancies, measured new supply, and continued in‑migration into the Bradenton–Sarasota market. From repositioning an existing asset to identifying a first Florida location, he works with clients to align timing, pricing, and property selection with current Q1 market realities.
Stan Rutstein
RE/MAX Alliance Group
+1 941-539-8313
email us here
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