Charlotte Industrial Real Estate: Growth Market Dynamics and Infill Opportunities

Britten Mathews serves as senior vice president and market officer for Link Logistics in Charlotte, where she oversees warehouse and industrial properties across one of the Southeast's fastest-growing markets. With expertise spanning the greater Charlotte metro area—which extends across the North Carolina-South Carolina border—Britten helps businesses navigate a region benefiting from strong population growth, favorable labor conditions and a strategic location between major East Coast ports. Link Logistics’ Charlotte portfolio focuses on quality infill locations that serve the region's expanding residential base while supporting e-commerce, manufacturing and consumer goods distribution. In this Q&A, Britten discusses Charlotte warehouse space for lease—what drives demand, emerging supply constraints and why the market continues to attract companies competing for talent.

What drives demand for industrial real estate in Charlotte?

Britten: There are several key factors. From a macro perspective, North Carolina attracts manufacturing based on competitive incentives. Then, something that’s unique about Charlotte is that the market actually spans state lines. Key submarkets like Fort Mill are in South Carolina, less than 10 miles from the North Carolina border. This creates robust competition between the two states for manufacturing jobs, with each offering attractive incentives. That cross-state competition ultimately benefits the broader Charlotte market.

Charlotte has the intersection of I-77 and I-85, plus access to multiple ports including Charleston, Wilmington and even Norfolk. We see significant e-commerce activity based on these interstate arteries. I-95 is about two hours away, so there's strong connectivity throughout the region.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is also a major factor—it's among the busiest airports in the world. Charlotte has become such a destination for people relocating that population growth is driving consistent demand.

We're seeing three main demand drivers: manufacturing (supported by state incentives), e-commerce (leveraging interstate and port access plus rail connectivity), and consumer goods distribution serving the growing residential population. Our infill portfolio is particularly well-positioned to serve last-mile distribution and local businesses—the plumber who needs a part and has to get there and back in 30 minutes can do that in Charlotte.

What key trends are shaping the Charlotte warehouse market?

Britten: Although it varies by building size, the overall Charlotte market is heading toward an undersupply situation. We're projecting around 8 million square feet of absorption with only about 4 million square feet currently under construction. That means we'll likely see undersupply in the next 18-24 months. The supply constraint will be interesting to watch—some companies may pivot to nearby markets like Greensboro or Greenville-Spartanburg in South Carolina if they can't secure space in Charlotte.

The other major trend is population growth. Companies keep saying they want space in Charlotte to service these growing residential areas. We're in a good state to operate in with strong labor availability. People are moving here, we have excellent transportation infrastructure—we check all the boxes.

Charlotte is often competing with Nashville and similar markets when companies do multi-state searches. They consistently choose Charlotte because it's where their employees want to live—you get affordable living, great labor, a location between the beach and mountains, and you don't have severe traffic congestion. Trucks and logistics operations can move efficiently without sitting in traffic for hours.

How does Link Logistics support companies looking for warehouse space in Charlotte?

Britten: We're one of the larger warehouse landlords in the Charlotte market, and we've really fine-tuned our portfolio to focus on quality infill locations. Charlotte has done an excellent job maintaining infill opportunities rather than pushing all industrial uses to the outskirts. This is critical for service providers—HVAC companies, plumbers and similar businesses need to be close to households they serve.

We act as a growth partner for tenants. Whether companies are expanding locally or entering the Charlotte market for the first time, we can accommodate their evolution. If a tenant outgrows their space mid-lease, we can relocate them within our portfolio or add adjacent space. We've had tenants take half a building initially, then expand to take the full building as they grow. That flexibility is something we hear companies really value—we're essentially a one-stop solution as their warehouse space needs change.

What about building size trends in Charlotte?

Britten: Historically, our core Charlotte market has been 80,000 to 150,000 square feet. We've had smaller spaces and some larger facilities, but big-box activity has been slower. That's changing—10 years ago, you would never build a 700,000-square-foot space in Charlotte. Last year several of them were delivered.

As the market continues to evolve, I think we'll see more big-box development, but it will be in the outer submarkets where land is available. Our North Charlotte Commerce Center is a good example—we have a 723,000-square-foot building in Mooresville, part of the north submarket. A customer initially took half the building, then nine months later consolidated operations and took the full 723,000 square feet. Ten years ago, that wouldn't have been on our radar for Charlotte.

Big box is still in earlier stages here, but over the next five years, I think it will become much more common in the Charlotte market.

Looking ahead, what opportunities do you see for businesses considering Charlotte?

Britten: Labor supply is a huge advantage. People continue to relocate here, creating favorable labor opportunities. The fundamentals I mentioned earlier—manufacturing incentives, interstate access, port connectivity, airport infrastructure—remain strong.

Given the projected undersupply, businesses considering Charlotte should start planning ahead. If this is where they want to be, it's going to get tighter. The window for securing space under current conditions is narrowing. All the economic indicators suggest Charlotte is well-positioned for continued growth.

Charlotte has maintained its appeal without the severe traffic congestion that impacts some other growing markets. The city and region have invested in infrastructure—road expansions, airport expansion—to try to stay ahead of the growth curve. For businesses evaluating Southeastern industrial markets, Charlotte offers a combination of growth trajectory, labor availability and logistical efficiency that's increasingly hard to find.

Explore available warehouse and distribution space in Charlotte to learn more about industrial real estate opportunities in North Carolina's largest market.