ATLANTA—From population growth to economic strength, the Southeast is giving commercial real estate developers, investors and advisors something to write home about. Economists predict expansion in Southeast metros as the post-housing bust markets post sold growth and boost overall commercial real estate demand.

The Southeast is bucking the national population growth trend. While growth is slowing overall, US Census data released in March reveals the Southeast is leading the nation's population growth, with Orlando topping the list at 5.4%.

“The Southeast is growing and will continue to grow from a population perspective, and that creates opportunities for the real estate industry,” says Bob Peterson, chairman and CEO of real estate investment, development and advisory firm Carter in Atlanta. “When you've got solid growth in the population, you're going to have solid growth in construction business.”