# Cousins Properties Cousins Properties is an Asset Manager based in Atlanta, United States. ## Overview - **Organization type:** Asset Manager - **Headquarters:** Atlanta, United States - **Region:** North America - **Address:** Atlanta, GA, United States - **Founded:** 1958 - **Assets under management:** Undisclosed - **Website:** cousins.com - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/cousins-properties ## Regulatory record - **Reports private funds:** No ## About Cousins Properties traces its lineage to 1958, when Atlanta homebuilder Tom Cousins founded the company that would eventually reshape the city's skyline. The firm went public in 1962 and spent its first four decades developing mixed-use projects and master-planned communities, but its modern identity solidified after a strategic pivot away from suburban retail and toward high-end urban office assets. Today, Cousins operates as a fully integrated REIT, handling acquisitions, development, leasing, and property management internally. The portfolio concentrates entirely on Class A office buildings in Sun Belt markets, with Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dallas, Phoenix, and Tampa accounting for the bulk of its holdings. Cousins develops ground-up towers — recent deliveries include 10000 Avalon in Alpharetta and Domain 12 in Austin — but also acquires existing assets it can reposition through active management. The firm co-invests with institutional partners on select developments, though it typically retains majority control and operational responsibility over its properties. Tenants skew toward Fortune 500 firms, professional services, and technology companies, reflecting the flight-to-quality trend in office leasing. Confirmed anchor tenants include Bank of America, NCR, and Amazon. The company maintains regional offices in Dallas, Charlotte, Phoenix, and Tampa alongside its Atlanta headquarters. While it does not disclose a headcount for investment professionals specifically, its integrated platform means leasing, construction, and asset management teams sit under one roof. Cousins does not operate separate credit, venture, or international vehicles, and it spun off its residential land business into a separate entity in the 2000s to focus purely on commercial office. In February 2025, the firm reported a 90.8% leased rate across its same-property portfolio, up 130 basis points year-over-year, and raised its full-year guidance for funds from operations. Cousins differs from most office REITs by refusing to diversify into residential, industrial, or coastal gateway markets. That self-imposed constraint — Sun Belt office, and only Sun Belt office — creates a concentrated exposure that amplifies both upside from regional population growth and downside from any sustained work-from-home recalibration. The firm's development pipeline adds a layer of risk most peers avoid, but also gives it control over the quality and location of new supply in markets where it already enjoys density and tenant relationships. ## Sectors - Real Estate ## Offices - Dallas, TX - Charlotte, NC - Phoenix, AZ - Tampa, FL ## People - M. Colin Connolly — President and Chief Executive Officer - Richard G. Hickson IV — Executive Vice President, Operations ## Questions ### What does Cousins Properties own? Cousins owns and operates a portfolio of Class A office buildings concentrated in Sun Belt cities including Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dallas, Phoenix, and Tampa. The firm does not hold residential, industrial, or retail properties, having exited those asset classes through a strategic shift completed in the early 2010s. As of its most recent filings, the portfolio exceeds 19 million square feet. ### Does Cousins invest outside the Sun Belt? No. Cousins Properties explicitly limits its investments to Sun Belt markets, maintaining zero exposure to coastal gateway cities like New York, San Francisco, or Boston. This geographic concentration has been a deliberate strategic choice for over a decade, based on the region's above-average population and job growth. ### Who are the primary tenants in Cousins buildings? The tenant base is primarily Fortune 500 companies, large professional services firms, and technology companies demonstrating a preference for high-amenity, transit-oriented office buildings. Confirmed tenants have included Bank of America, NCR, and Amazon. The overall leased rate stood at 90.8% across same-property holdings as of its February 2025 earnings release. ### Is Cousins Properties still run by the founding family? No. Tom Cousins, who founded the company in 1958, passed away in 2020. The firm has long been institutionally managed. Colin Connolly has served as President and CEO since 2019, having joined Cousins in 2013 after previous roles at Hines. ### Does Cousins Properties have any activity in single-family or residential? No. The firm sold its residential land division in the mid-2000s and has since operated exclusively as a commercial office owner. It has no current plans to re-enter residential development or investment. ## Related profiles - [Geek+](https://altss.com/profile/beijing-geekplus-technology-co-ltdadr) - [USA Compression Partners](https://altss.com/profile/usa-compression-partners-lp) --- Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/cousins-properties-inc Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology