Branson real estate guru gives market synopsis

Weisz, owner of Weisz Commercial Realty Inc., was the featured guest at Springfield Business Journal’s 12 People You Need to Know breakfast at the Clarion Hotel’s Newsroom Café. SBJ Editor Eric Olson interviewed Weisz in front of about 50 guests.

In his more than 20 years in Branson commercial real estate, Weisz was around for the city’s boom in the early 1990s, the subsequent slowdown, and what he calls the two best years of his career in 2006–07, when giants such as Branson Landing came online. This year, the city’s experiencing a slight downturn in tourism and some fallout from over-building, he said.

Many developers are in a “wait-and-see mode,” he said, but “it’s a great time to be a buyer. It’s a good time to see what you can acquire at a price that makes sense.”

Branson Airport – under construction now and set to open in May 2009 – as well as the burgeoning Branson Hills Parkway and growth in nearby Hollister will be major players in getting through the slump, Weisz said.

So, what’s a smart move in Branson these days? More upscale and extended-stay hotels, big-box retailers, golf courses and fine-dining restaurants are all needed in the area, he said. There’s not much room for new theater projects or buffet-type restaurants, but Weisz sees a limited need for small business parks.

Also on Weisz’s wish list: better synergy between Branson Landing and historic downtown Branson.

“Branson Landing has really increased the real estate prices downtown. What has not increased is the number of people walking up the hill from Branson Landing to downtown,” he said. Much like downtown Springfield’s rebirth, downtown Branson could be a hot spot with help from more restaurants and locally owned retailers, he said.

The next 12 People You Need to Know breakfast will introduce CoxHealth Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer Karen Kramer on Aug. 12. Event details and registration are available at sbj.net.