While Atlanta isn’t among the top cities people think of in the US like Miami, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, it is steadily growing and it is a prime market for real estate investment, according to a recent study by Jones Lang Lasalle, a real estate services firm. Atlanta found itself in what the company’s analysis portrays as a very advantageous position: No. 16 out of the top 30 overall and nearing the top of the class of “second-tier” cities that are starting to receive a larger share of new real estate investment as bigger cities grow more saturated.

Atlanta ranked above second-tier cities like Houston, Dallas, and more, though it wasn’t as highly ranked as the fellow second-tier city of Boston. Buying a home in Atlanta for investment purposes is a popular move for many still, and real estate investment is a significant element in analyzing the success of Atlanta. Second-tier cities are profiting. In particular, second-tier cities that combine good governance, sound educational systems and innovative city planning are gaining momentum. They are focusing on flexible, well-designed real estate: open, sustainable and collaborative work spaces in urban settings with amenities that appeal to the knowledge workers companies are increasingly trying to hire. This approach attracts investors by attracting tenants in high-growth sectors like tech and healthcare.