The South Strand — Surfside Beach, Garden City, Murrells Inlet — doesn’t get as much commercial real estate attention as Myrtle Beach proper. Which is kind of the point. These communities feel more residential, more local, less touristy. And the commercial real estate matches that energy perfectly.
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Tourism Tenant Anchoring: Properties with stable tourist-destination tenants (restaurants, retail, hospitality) weather development constraints better than general commercial. -
Seasonal Revenue Flexibility: Properties configured to handle peak tourism season (summer, holidays) maximize revenue through dynamic rate management. -
Highway 17 and South Kings Highway Visibility: Locations on primary tourist corridors capture passing traffic and visibility. Secondary roads require more tenant-specific positioning. -
Residential Growth Patterns Near Property: Confirm actual planned development near your property. Ocean outfall constraints may limit growth more than you expect.
Surfside Beach
Surfside calls itself “The Family Beach.” It’s smaller, quieter, and more residential than Myrtle Beach. The commercial activity is concentrated along Highway 17 and Surfside Drive. Strip centers, small retail, restaurants, some grocery-anchored centers. Standard neighborhood commercial. Nothing flashy. But the kind of stuff that stays occupied because people need it.
What Supports South Strand Values
- Highway 17 visibility and tourism traffic access
- Tenants serving seasonal tourist and permanent residents
- Less new commercial competition due to development constraints
- Stable long-term tenancy from established businesses
What Creates Valuation Headwinds
- Dependence on pure seasonal tourist demand
- Ocean outfall restrictions limiting future population growth
- Remote location off Highway 17 primary corridors
- Single-industry or tourism-only tenant concentration
What makes Surfside interesting from an investment standpoint is the density. It’s compact. The residential population is packed into a small geographic area, which means the commercial properties along Highway 17 have a captive audience. Residents don’t want to drive to Myrtle Beach for everything. They want to walk or drive two minutes to the dry cleaner, the nail salon, the pizza place. That convenience factor keeps local retail full even when the broader market softens.
That captive demand means lower vacancy for well-located strip centers. The ones I’ve looked at along Highway 17 in Surfside tend to stay in the 90-95% occupied range. Not sexy, but consistent. And consistent is what pays the mortgage. I’d rather own a boring strip center at 93% occupancy than a flashy property with turnover every 18 months.
Garden City and Murrells Inlet
Garden City Beach sits between Surfside and Murrells Inlet. It’s a mix of vacation rentals and year-round residents. The commercial footprint is small — a few blocks of restaurants and shops near the pier. The real commercial activity happens along Highway 17 Business, where you’ll find the auto shops, contractors, and service businesses that actually drive the local economy.
Murrells Inlet, just south of Garden City, has the MarshWalk restaurant row and a strong local dining scene that draws from across the Grand Strand. The commercial property around Murrells Inlet benefits from both tourist traffic and a solid year-round residential base. Restaurants here do real volume because the MarshWalk has become a genuine regional dining destination, not just a tourist trap.
Related: Hold or Sell Your Commercial Property: How to Decide
Related: Hampstead and the US-17 North Corridor
Related: How I Determine My Offer Price
| South Strand Submarket | Character | Commercial Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Surfside Beach (Hwy 17) | Family-oriented, residential | Strip retail, services, medical |
| Garden City | Mixed vacation / residential | Small retail, restaurants |
| Murrells Inlet | Dining destination + residential | Restaurants, mixed retail |
| Hwy 17 Business (inland) | Highway commercial corridor | Auto, service, flex |
The ocean outfall factor
The $43 million ocean outfall project in this area is worth mentioning. It’s a stormwater infrastructure investment that, when complete, improves water quality along the beach and the surrounding area. Might sound like it’s just a utilities project. But infrastructure investments like this tend to support property values because they signal long-term commitment to the area’s livability. Local governments don’t spend $43M on stormwater if they’re not serious about protecting the coastline and the communities along it.
What I buy in the South Strand
I’m looking at retail strip centers along Highway 17 with service tenants. Buildings in the 5,000-15,000 SF range with multiple units leased to local businesses. The cap rates here are typically a little higher than Myrtle Beach proper because the market is less institutional. That’s fine with me — I’m not an institution. I’m a buyer who knows how to manage these properties and I’m comfortable with the slightly higher yields that come from secondary locations.
I also look at flex buildings along Highway 17 Business and the inland corridors. The contractor and service company demand extends into the South Strand. A plumber or electrician based in Surfside serves customers from Myrtle Beach to Pawleys Island. They need space that’s centrally located to that service area, and the South Strand gives them exactly that positioning.
For more on the broader market dynamics here, check out my Myrtle Beach market report.
Seller takeaway
Surfside and South Strand property owners should understand that ocean outfall infrastructure limits growth expectations. Price accordingly for stable but not explosive appreciation. Call Roth Capital at 704-600-3839 to discuss realistic market positioning.
Own a commercial property in the South Strand? I’d love to hear about it. Give me a call. 704-600-3839.
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