Colliers Report: Columbia Industrial Market Q1 2026

New vacancies set for rapid backfill amidst strong demand & rising rents.

Market Highlights

The Columbia industrial market saw vacancy tick up despite nearly 1.6M square feet of gross absorption, driven in large part by new built-to-suit deliveries, as the market signals an urgent need for speculative construction. Class A vacancies remain scarce and short‑lived, with most newly available spaces already carrying pending deals or being re‑leased prior to turnover.

Continue reading the full report.

Key Takeaways

• Despite nearly 1.6M SF of gross absorption driven by fully occupied new deliveries, vacancy increased from its cyclical low due to anticipated move-outs. Rural areas, particularly aging properties, remain the most challenged in maintaining occupancy.
• Over 90% of the market’s vacancy lies within pre-2000 buildings, requiring operational flexibility from prospective users.
• Strong class A demand has driven rents up 16.4% YOY to $7.31 PSF. Vacancy remains exceptionally low, with deals pending for most remaining vacancies, highlighting severe supply limitations.
• Developers plan to launch new speculative projects in Blythewood and northern Calhoun County, but the upcoming supply will still fall short of current demand.

About Colliers

Colliers | South Carolina is the largest full-service commercial real estate firm in South Carolina with an annual transaction volume of $1.5 billion. The firm has 225 real estate professionals covering the state with locations in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Spartanburg. Colliers is the largest manager of commercial real estate properties in South Carolina with a portfolio of over 31 million square feet of office, industrial, retail and healthcare properties. Colliers | South Carolina’s sister company, LCK, provides project management services across the Southeast and beyond with an annual project value of $1.3 billion. LCK helps clients maximize the value of their development projects while remaining on schedule and within budget. Colliers and LCK staff hold more professional designations than any other commercial real estate firm in South Carolina.

Colliers is a global diversified professional services and investment management company. Operating through three industry-leading platforms – Real Estate Services, Engineering and Investment Management – we have a proven business model, an enterprising culture and a unique partnership philosophy that drives growth and value creation. With $5.5 billion in annual revenues, a team of 24,000 professionals, and $108 billion in assets under management, Colliers remains committed to accelerating the success of our clients, investors, and people worldwide. Learn more at corporate.colliers.com, X @Colliers or LinkedIn.