SUMMARY

Mixed-use development is a targeted strategy for real estate investors, yet its economic benefits have remained difficult to quantify. An analysis of more than 74,000 office, retail, and multifamily properties across 49 major U.S. metropolitan areas finds that mixed-use environments generate significant rent premiums, with the greatest observed benefits occurring where complementary uses create true ecosystem effects. Key findings include:

• A Mixed-use environments command meaningful rent premiums across office, retail, and multifamily properties.
• Rent premiums persist even after controlling for market and submarket differences, suggesting a genuine mixed-use environment effect.
• The strongest premiums occur in suburban locations, where mixed-use remains relatively scarce and therefore more differentiated.
• Successful mixed-use is driven not simply by combining uses, but by thoughtfully curating the right mix of residential, office, retail, and public spaces to create complementary demand and support potential long-term value.