Find a real estate CPA Houston investors rely on: 10 firms with Houston-area offices for landlords, syndicators and developers, from depreciation to 1031.
Houston investors range from landlords with a few doors in Katy and Pearland to multifamily syndicators and developers working across Harris and Fort Bend counties. A good real estate CPA Houston investors hire handles depreciation schedules, passive loss limits, partnership returns and the tax side of a sale or 1031 exchange, and plans ahead instead of only filing.
Texas has no personal income tax, so planning is mostly federal, but LLCs and partnerships can still owe Texas franchise tax. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, 100% bonus depreciation is permanent for qualifying property acquired after January 19, 2025, which increases the value of cost segregation for Houston buyers.
We chose these 10 firms because each shows a Houston-area office on its own site and has a real estate practice or clear investor focus. The list includes Houston-headquartered firms, two national firms and small practices built for individual investors. For firms that serve investors nationwide, see our list of real estate CPA firms for investors.
Houston Real Estate CPA Firms At A Glance
Company
Headquarters
Best For
Standout
Weaver
Houston
Owners and developers needing broad tax help
70 years serving real estate
Whitley Penn
Texas, office in Houston
Funds, developers and REITs
Real estate fund administration
Weinstein Spira
Houston
Developers and multifamily owners
60+ years in Houston
Crowe
National, office in Houston
Private equity real estate and REITs
800+ real estate and construction clients
Grant Thornton
National, office in Houston
Large institutional real estate firms
National real estate tax practice
Orsak CPAs
Houston
Syndicators and growing investors
Full real estate tax and reporting menu
Haynie & Company
Multi-state, location in The Woodlands
North Houston investors
Cost seg and 1031 planning
Baldridge Ledbetter
Houston
Owners with many LLCs
Proactive multi-entity tax strategy
Whetzel CPA
Richmond (Fort Bend County)
Small and mid-size landlords
Published flat annual fees
Saluja & Associates CPA
Houston
Investors and property managers
Fractional CFO for acquisitions
Best Real Estate CPA Firms In Houston In 2027
1. Weaver — Houston-Headquartered Firm With 70 Years In Real Estate
Weaver is headquartered in Houston’s Uptown Galleria district at 4400 Post Oak Parkway and also has an office in The Woodlands. It describes itself as a top 35 accounting firm and says it has served the real estate industry for 70 years, with a deep focus on Texas markets.
Its real estate clients include developers, owners and operators of commercial and residential property, master planned communities, REITs, investment funds, homebuilders and property managers. Services include cost segregation and energy tax consulting, like-kind exchange planning, rehabilitation and low-income housing credit planning, lease audits and acquisition due diligence.
For a Houston developer or owner with complex needs, it offers the widest set of real estate tax services on this list from a local headquarters.
Best for: Houston owners and developers who want a large Texas firm with deep real estate tax services.
2. Whitley Penn — Real Estate Audit, Tax And Fund Administration
Whitley Penn is a Texas firm with a Houston office at 3737 Buffalo Speedway, plus offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio and West Texas. Its real estate group audits developers, joint ventures, investment funds and master planned communities and serves REITs with up to $1 billion in assets.
Tax services cover 1031 exchanges, Qualified Opportunity Zones, cost segregation and recent law changes. Its fund administration team prepares investor reporting and distribution waterfalls, and its outsourced accounting covers CAM reconciliations and tenant invoicing.
The firm is a member of the HLB international network.
Best for: Fund sponsors, developers and REITs that want audit, tax and fund administration together.
3. Weinstein Spira — Houston Firm Serving Developers For More Than 60 Years
Weinstein Spira & Company is based on Richmond Avenue in Houston and says it has served the Houston community for more than 60 years. Its real estate practice works with raw land developers, retail and industrial owners, hospitality owners and multifamily owners.
Services include entity choice and structuring, tax planning, debt financing and cash flow analysis, and consulting on financing and debt restructuring. It also audits, reviews and compiles real estate financial statements on a tax or GAAP basis, which lenders and partners often require.
Managing Shareholder Kristin Murray is listed as a real estate contact.
Best for: Houston developers and multifamily owners who need reviewed or audited statements along with tax work.
4. Crowe — National Real Estate Group With A Greenway Plaza Office
Crowe is a national accounting firm with a Houston office at 9 Greenway Plaza and a Dallas office. Its real estate and construction group reports more than 800 clients.
Tax services include compliance and planning, cost segregation, real estate transaction structuring, estate planning and ownership transition. It serves REITs with tax, compliance and audit work and supports private equity real estate funds with property management and acquisition support. Its recent insights cover the permanent Opportunity Zone rules under the 2025 tax law.
Crowe suits organizations more than individual landlords.
Best for: Private equity real estate funds, REITs and larger privately owned real estate groups.
5. Grant Thornton — National Real Estate Tax Practice Downtown
Grant Thornton has a Houston office at 700 Milam Street. Its construction and real estate practice serves owners, developers, property managers and REITs, with a national real estate tax leader.
The firm highlights tax depreciation analysis, including a case study in which it helped a real estate investment firm accelerate about $100 million in deductions a year. It also offers valuation, transaction advisory and audit services.
It is built for institutional investors and larger operators.
Best for: Institutional real estate companies and REITs that want a national firm with a Houston team.
6. Orsak CPAs — Post Oak Firm With A Full Real Estate Investor Menu
Orsak Langner & Barthel PLLC (Orsak CPAs) is based at 515 Post Oak Boulevard. It works with residential and commercial investors, developers, syndicators, property managers and brokers.
Services include entity selection and restructuring, passive versus active classification, cost segregation coordination, 1031 exchange guidance, basis and improvement tracking, K-1 preparation and equity distribution tracking. It also prepares GAAP financial statements for lenders and investors and monitors debt service coverage ratios.
That mix suits investors moving from a few rentals into partnerships with outside capital.
Best for: Houston syndicators and growing investors who need both tax planning and lender-ready reporting.
7. Haynie & Company — Mid-Size Firm With A Location In The Woodlands
Haynie & Company operates in several states and lists The Woodlands among its locations, which makes it convenient for north Houston and Montgomery County investors. Its real estate practice reviews depreciation methods, entity structures and cost segregation opportunities, and it treats 1031 exchanges as a specialty area.
A separate investment funds practice helps investors who hold property through funds or partnerships as well as directly.
It sits between the national firms and local boutiques on this list in size.
Best for: North Houston investors who want cost segregation and 1031 planning from a mid-size firm.
Baldridge Ledbetter is a CPA firm on Brittmoore Road in west Houston that serves clients nationwide. It focuses on real estate investors, syndicators and owners of multiple LLCs.
Services include real estate tax planning, entity structure and operating agreement review, and preparation of individual, partnership, corporate and multi-state returns. Its process runs from strategic review to execution and ongoing check-ins rather than once-a-year filing.
The firm reviews an intake form before taking on a client, and its blog covers topics such as how syndication fees are taxed.
Best for: Investors whose holdings are spread across many LLCs and partnerships.
9. Whetzel CPA — Flat-Fee Rental Tax Work In Fort Bend County
Whetzel CPA is based in Richmond, Texas, and serves Houston and Fort Bend County. It publishes flat annual fees: from $1,800 a year for 3 to 10 doors in one LLC, from $3,200 for 10 to 25 doors, from $1,400 per partnership return and $850 per 1031 exchange.
Services include Schedule E returns with per-property depreciation, per-LLC bookkeeping, real estate professional status support with time logs, short-term rental material participation documentation, cost segregation coordination and catch-up depreciation through Form 3115. The firm is candid that cost segregation often does not pay off below about $500,000 of building basis.
It does not handle property tax protests and refers those to specialists.
Best for: Houston landlords with up to a few dozen doors who want predictable fees.
Saluja & Associates CPA, PLLC is based on Broadfield Boulevard in west Houston. Its CPA-led team serves investors, property management companies, commercial owners and brokers.
Services include rental income tracking, depreciation planning and cost segregation coordination, 1031 exchange tax planning, LLC and partnership structuring, property management trust accounting and multi-property bookkeeping. Fractional CFO support covers acquisition analysis, refinancing and portfolio modeling.
It offers a fee estimator on its site, which helps when comparing quotes.
Best for: Investors and property managers who want accounting plus acquisition analysis.
How To Choose A Real Estate CPA In Houston
Is The Firm Sized For Your Portfolio?
National and large Texas firms suit funds, REITs and developers. Small landlords usually get better value from practices like Whetzel or Saluja. Ask about clients similar to you.
How Does The CPA Handle Passive Losses?
Big depreciation deductions only help if you can use them. Ask about real estate professional status and the short-term rental tax loophole, and how the firm documents participation.
Will The Firm Coordinate A Cost Segregation Study?
Ask whether the CPA models the benefit before you pay for a study and handles the return side. See our list of cost segregation firms in Texas.
Does It Handle Texas Franchise Tax?
LLCs and partnerships may have Texas franchise tax filings even without personal income tax. Confirm these are in scope.
Who Handles Property Tax Protests?
Many CPAs do not. Ask whether the firm refers you to a protest specialist and shares records with them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need A Houston-Based CPA?
Not strictly, since federal work can be done remotely. A local firm helps with Texas franchise tax, local referrals and meetings.
Does Texas Tax The Gain When I Sell A Rental?
Individuals pay no Texas income tax on the gain. Federal capital gains tax and depreciation recapture still apply, and a 1031 exchange can defer them.
Can My CPA Act As My 1031 Qualified Intermediary?
No. Your CPA can plan and report the exchange, but you need an independent qualified intermediary to hold the funds.
Conclusion
The best real estate CPA in Houston depends on scale. Developers, funds and REITs fit Weaver, Whitley Penn, Weinstein Spira, Crowe or Grant Thornton. Syndicators and growing investors fit Orsak, Haynie or Baldridge Ledbetter, and landlords who want fixed fees can look at Whetzel or Saluja. If you also own in North Texas, compare our Dallas real estate CPA firms.
This article is general information, not tax or legal advice.
