Corporate tenants increasingly favor environmentally conscious space in centralized office locations

Rhea-AI Summary

JLL's latest Premium Office Rent Tracker reveals a significant shift towards environmentally sustainable office spaces, with 84% of surveyed premium buildings holding sustainability certifications. In prime markets, this figure reaches 100%. The report notes that urban core locations are seeing resilient rental rates, particularly in cities like New York and Hong Kong, which are now tied as the most expensive office markets globally. Demand for premium office spaces is largely driven by the banking, technology, and professional services sectors, with the U.S. Sun Belt experiencing a strong recovery.

Positive

• 84% of premium office buildings have sustainability certifications.
• Demand for premium office space increased, particularly in the banking and technology sectors.
• U.S. Sun Belt cities such as Miami and Los Angeles saw significant jumps in occupancy costs.

Negative

• Asian cities faced volatility in office demand due to COVID-19 outbreaks.
• Secondary locations are becoming increasingly affordable compared to primary markets, indicating potential concerns in premium market sustainability.

CHICAGO, Dec. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Premium office space around the world is being redefined due to the strong demand for sustainable and healthy buildings. According to JLL's Premium Office Rent Tracker research report covering 127 office markets and submarkets in 112 cities, a high number of premium office buildings surveyed – 84% – boast an environmental sustainability certification such as LEED or BREEAM, widely used benchmarks for green buildings. In high-end markets, that number climbs to 100%, underscoring the shift toward environmental consciousness by both landlords who sought the certifications and tenants who chose to occupy green buildings.

Percentage of markets whose most premium building has…

	High-end	Mid-level	Value	All
a SUSTAINABILITY certification	100%	89%	76%	84%
a WELLNESS certification	8%	16%	12%	13%

Another critical feature for corporate tenants seeking premium office space? An urban core location. Despite the global impact of the pandemic on the office market, rental performance remained resilient in core central business districts across top-tier cities worldwide over the past year.

Report findings show the rental rate gap between primary and secondary or decentralized submarkets is broadening further in gateway cities such as Hong Kong, New York, Beijing and Tokyo, as corporate occupiers continue to favor city centers. This corporate interest and the steady uptick in occupancy costs drove New York's Midtown to tie with Hong Kong's Central as the most expensive office submarket in the world. Beijing's Finance Street, London's West End and Silicon Valley round out the top five.

Core and decentralized rental rate gaps substantially widened across several other cities as well. Los Angeles and Delhi, for example, experienced an increased difference of 11 ppts between primary and secondary rents from a year ago.

"While urban cores struggled to remain relevant during the depths of the pandemic, due to lockdowns and a shift to remote work, many amenity-rich central business districts are now rebounding with new energy and purpose. The resilience of rents in premium buildings demonstrate the fortitude and importance of urban core locations to companies," noted Jeremy Kelly, Lead Director, Global Cities Research at JLL.

Nonetheless, affordability remains a concern in the top-tier cities, and the expanding rental gap means that secondary locations have become more affordable compared to core submarkets. On average, there is a 40-50% discount between the primary office location and secondary or decentralized business districts across 10 major cities covered in the report. 

U.S. Sun Belt demand intensifies while take-up in a handful of Asian cities moderate
Other findings in the report indicate that U.S. Sun Belt demand robustly recovered following the lockdowns of 2020 compared to other office markets. Miami, Los Angeles and Houston each jumped up at least eight places in office occupancy cost rankings from the year before.

Asian cities, on the other hand, faced some volatility as COVID-19 outbreaks and accompanying government-imposed restrictions swept through the region and hindered office demand. Tokyo, Manila and Bangkok were among the Asian hubs that experienced rental rate drops compared to the previous year.

Technology, professional services firms drive rates upward
The banking and financial services industry continue to dominate demand for premium office space leasing globally. Technology firms, particularly those specializing in online platforms, come in second, accounting for demand in 17% of the most expensive markets where rates hover above $100 USD per square foot annually.

Professional and business services firms are also a major player in the premium office market, driving premium rents in 17% of the markets. Affordable markets with rates below $60 per square foot annually saw the most demand from this sector, accounting for demand in 20% of these markets.

About JLL
JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $16.6 billion in 2020, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce more than 95,000 as of September 30, 2021. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com.

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JLL Contact: Julianne Wiley
Phone: +1 970 445 4768
Email: Julianne.Wiley@am.jll.com

 

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SOURCE JLL

FAQ

What does JLL's Premium Office Rent Tracker report indicate about sustainability in office spaces?

The report shows that 84% of premium office buildings surveyed have sustainability certifications, with this figure reaching 100% in high-end markets.

How are rental prices changing in major cities according to JLL's report?

The report indicates widening rental rate gaps between primary and secondary markets, with locations like New York and Hong Kong being the most expensive.

What sectors are driving demand for premium office spaces?

The banking and financial services sectors dominate demand, followed by technology and professional services firms.

Which cities in the U.S. are seeing a strong recovery in office demand?

U.S. Sun Belt cities like Miami, Los Angeles, and Houston have notably recovered in office occupancy costs post-lockdowns.

What challenges are Asian cities facing in the office market?

Asian cities are experiencing reduced office demand due to COVID-19 outbreaks and government restrictions.