Average industrial sale pricing in Atlanta jumped by almost one-third year-over-year (Y-o-Y) to roughly $140 per square foot versus about $114 last September, per Yardi Research data. Even so, total sales volume is slightly lower at about $1.63 billion as compared to $1.74 billion a year earlier, indicating a market where values are rising even as capital stays selective.

Panelists at Bisnow’s Industrial Southeast Summit said active buyers were underwriting credit more aggressively this year given tariff volatility in the first half. But, the cohort that’s still leasing and trading is consistent —namely, food and beverage groups; air cargo and freight handlers; and third-party logistics firms. Those users have gravitated toward small and mid-sized footprints, which is exactly where Atlanta has been most liquid. In fact, in the first six months of the year, more than half of the nearly 10 million square feet of leases signed were for spaces 50,000 square feet in size or smaller.

Additionally, vacancy sits at about 8.4% versus 9.5% nationally. More precisely, Atlanta’s new-lease rates are running at about $8.72 per square foot, which is up 8.5% Y-o-Y compared to the 6.1% national pace. Meanwhile, about 10.9 million square feet is under construction (up from roughly 8.24 million a year ago), and a material share of that pipeline is data centers. By volume, this places Atlanta with the fifth-largest active pipeline among major industrial markets. Moreover, because data centers account for much of that pipeline, the new volume is less likely to weigh on absorption than if it were traditional warehouse product.

Similarly, the Port of Savannah, which is within proximity of Atlanta, has also recovered after a tariff drag earlier in the year: The port handled more than 534,000 containers in August, which is up 9% Y-o-Y and one of the busiest months on record.

Lastly, rising values may now pull more sellers forward. JLL Managing Director, Bobby Norwood, told Bisnow that industrial had been the most liquid asset class in the last five years and called it “the safest rock in the harbor” — a view that may bring more owners to test pricing before year-end.