What The Platform Investment Group does

The Platform Investment Group, LLC is a privately held, founder-owned real estate development and investment firm based in Houston, Texas, founded in 2017 by husband-and-wife principals Steve Ybarra and Hilary Zaic Ybarra. The company specializes in design-forward, mixed-use urban infill development, acquiring underutilized sites — including former gas stations and convenience stores — in walkable Houston neighborhoods and transforming them into high-quality retail, office, food & beverage, events, and residential spaces. Its portfolio clusters around two Houston submarkets: Boulevard Oaks (along the Bissonnet corridor, anchored by the 11,500 SF 2132 Bissonnet mixed-use flagship and 2116 Bissonnet office building) and East End (along Harrisburg Boulevard, including the 7,200 SF 3501 Harrisburg adaptive reuse and the 18,000 SF 3509 Harrisburg three-story mixed-use project completed in 2024), supplemented by an 8-unit residential property, storage, and parking assets.

The firm's differentiator is architectural quality: both principals hold Yale M.Arch degrees, with Steve additionally holding a Wharton MBA and prior experience at Trammell Crow, Kohn Pedersen Fox, and Tamarkin Co., and Hilary having practiced at Gensler, Skidmore Owings and Merrill, and Weiss Manfredi. Projects are designed in collaboration with leading firms including Michael Hsu Office of Architecture and Gensler, and integrate commissioned public art installations (Trey Duvall, Anat Ronen, Allison Hunter) into building facades and interiors. Marketing is primarily direct, conducted through the company website (platformgroup.com) and earned media in outlets such as Houston Chronicle, Culturemap Houston, and Paper City Magazine.

The business operates through three revenue streams: commercial real estate leasing (recurring multi-year contracts with retail, office, and F&B tenants such as Agnes Cafe & Provisions, Westlake Dermatology, Night Shift, and Ronin Art House), property development (one-time acquisition, entitlement, and construction activities), and property management services delivered through REIS Associates. There is no disclosed external institutional capital; ownership and control remain with the Ybarra family via Ybarra Investments, Inc., and headcount is in the 1–10 range. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated per property and tenant, with no standardized tiers.

Name

The Platform Investment Group

Legal name

The Platform Investment Group, LLC

Website

https://platformgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Platform Investment Group is a Houston-based, founder-owned real estate development firm that acquires underutilized urban sites and transforms them into design-forward mixed-use properties with retail, office, and food & beverage tenants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Commercial Real Estate Leasing: Platform develops, owns, and operates mixed-use properties in Houston, generating revenue through leasing retail, office, and other commercial spaces to tenants. Revenue is recurring through lease agreements with terms typically ranging from multi-year contracts.
2. Property Development: The company acquires underutilized properties (such as former gas stations and convenience stores), develops them into mixed-use projects, and either leases them out or sells completed developments.
3. Property Management: Platform provides property management services for their owned properties through REIS Associates.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Platform Investment Group acquires underutilized urban sites in Houston and develops them into design-forward, mixed-use real estate assets integrating retail, office, food & beverage, and residential space. The firm retains ownership, leases the commercial components to tenants under multi-year agreements, and manages the properties on an ongoing basis through REIS Associates.

Product overview

The Platform Investment Group is a design-forward real estate development and investment group based in Houston, Texas, focused on mixed-use, urban infill projects. The company offers a portfolio of real estate properties including retail spaces, office buildings, residential units, and storage facilities. Key properties include the flagship 2132 Bissonnet mixed-use development (11,500 SF with cafe and boutique office), 3509 Harrisburg (18,000 SF three-story mixed-use completed 2024), 3501 Harrisburg (adaptive reuse for events and hospitality), and various office spaces. The company also commissions artist installations at its properties. Services include property ownership, development, leasing, and management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 2132 Bissonnet (mixed-use development)
• 3509 Harrisburg (retail/office mixed-use)
• 3501 Harrisburg (adaptive reuse)
• 2116 Bissonnet (furnished office building)
• 402-406 Hutcheson (residential apartments)

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Night ShiftminorOthers · 29 July 2021Night Shift cocktail bar opened at 3501 Harrisburg (2,880 sf) in partnership with Platform. Led by veteran bartenders Justin Ware and Patrick Abalos with design/build by Rootlab.
• Agnes Cafe & ProvisionsminorOthers · 8 June 2021All-day café, bakery and boutique grocery opened at 2132 Bissonnet in Summer 2021. The ground floor retail space was built out by Platform and leased to partners Molly Voorhees (Becks Prime, The Chocolate Bar) and Carolyn Dorros (Wolff Companies).
• Ronin Art HouseminorOthers · 15 April 2021Ronin Art House opened their fifth Houston location and largest to date (4,320 sf) at 3501 Harrisburg as a special events venue. Platform developed the adaptive reuse space for them.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Braun Enterprises: Houston-focused mixed-use developer specializing in adaptive reuse and urban infill in walkable neighborhoods such as the Heights and EaDo. Highly comparable in strategy, scale, and submarket focus.
• Midway Companies: Houston-based mixed-use real estate developer with a portfolio spanning urban infill, office, retail, and multifamily. Most directly comparable to Platform by city, asset mix, and design sensibility, though operating at materially larger scale.
• Triten Real Estate Partners: Houston-based real estate investment and development firm focused on mixed-use, office, and retail assets in urban submarkets. Overlaps with Platform in city, asset types, and value-add repositioning play.
• Lovett Commercial: Houston-based commercial real estate firm that develops, owns, and operates mixed-use and retail properties across the city. Comparable in product mix and Houston-centric operating model.

Broad incumbents

• JLL: Global real estate services and investment firm with a substantial Houston office. Competes with Platform for institutional capital partners, brokerage relationships, and larger tenant mandates.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Global commercial real estate services firm with active Houston investment sales, leasing, and capital markets practice. Relevant as the dominant incumbent that competes for the same tenants, brokers, and capital.

Regional players

• Boxer Property: Houston-headquartered commercial real estate operator owning and managing a large portfolio of small-bay office and retail properties. Comparable as a Houston operator/landlord, though not design-led.

Emerging players

• Rebees: Mixed-use developer with significant Houston presence focused on urban infill and walkable neighborhood revitalization. Comparable on thesis and target submarkets, though broader in geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/platformgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Platform Investment Group