Commercial real estate investors are moving to smaller markets and buying suburban properties as they search for higher returns after snapping up the most desirable buildings in the biggest U.S. cities.

Demand for office buildings, retail centers and warehouses in cities such as Reno, Nevada; Greensboro, North Carolina; and Louisville, Kentucky, is surging as yields shrink for real estate on the coasts and in larger cities. Properties on the outskirts of major metropolitan areas also are attracting interest, with prices for suburban offices rising faster than downtown real estate, according to an index compiled by Moody’s Investors Service and Real Capital Analytics Inc.