Office Landscape Changing Due to COVID-19, Yardi Matrix Reports

Employment trends and workplace safety concerns prompt ongoing changes for office market

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.,
July 28, 2020 –  Commercial office listing rates haven’t yet been affected
by the economic downturn, according to
newly released Yardi Matrix® June commercial office data. Average full-service equivalent listing rates
rose 14 cents from May to $38.39, but are down 10 basis points year-over-year.
However, shifting office employment levels and workplace safety concerns are
sure to impact the market for the rest of 2020 and possibly beyond.

Office-using
employment increased by 347,000 jobs in June, but total employment in
office-using sectors is still down by 2.4 million from the peak in February.

“With cases of
the coronavirus spiking in many states, it is uncertain whether the job gains
will continue through the summer. Many businesses are undergoing hiring
freezes, so gains in the near term will be more reliant on the ending of
furloughs than on rehires,” states the report.

Deliveries are looking much as they did at this point last year, according to the latest Yardi Matrix office report. The first half of the year saw 26.1 million square feet of office space completed, with a nearly equal split between suburban offices and urban locations. Pandemic notwithstanding, the year could still near 2019’s 76 million square feet of newly delivered office space.

The first half of the year saw $28.4 billion in sales, $22
billion of which occurred in the first quarter. Despite the drop-off in total
volume, office properties have sold at an average of $290 per square foot this
year, an increase of $17 over 2019.

Download the latest full Yardi Matrix office
report
for more market details.

Yardi Matrix offers the industry’s
most comprehensive market intelligence tool for investment professionals, equity
investors, lenders and property managers who underwrite and manage investments
in commercial real estate. Yardi Matrix covers multifamily, student housing, industrial,
office and self storage property types. Email [email protected], call (480) 663-1149 or visit yardimatrix.com to learn more.

About Yardi

Yardi^® develops and
supports industry-leading investment and property management software for all
types and sizes of real estate companies. Established in 1984, Yardi is based
in Santa Barbara, Calif., and serves clients worldwide. For more information on
how Yardi is Energized for Tomorrow, visit yardi.com.