Whitestone REIT is a Houston-based real estate investment trust founded in 1998 that owns and operates open-air neighborhood shopping centers across Texas and Arizona. The company concentrates its portfolio in high-growth Sun Belt markets, including Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Phoenix. Originally incorporated in Maryland and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol WSR, until the company was acquired by Ares Real Estate funds in July 2026 in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.7 billion, taking the company private. The portfolio comprises service-oriented, necessity-based retail centers featuring tenants in categories such as restaurants, fitness, medical services, beauty, and education. The company uses data-driven portfolio management and focuses on tenant mix curation, selective redevelopment, and active leasing strategies to maintain occupancy and rental income across its properties. The company's strategy emphasizes community-oriented retail in affluent, high-growth neighborhoods with demographics that support stable cash flows from small-format tenants less vulnerable to e-commerce disruption.