Monday, September 26, 2022

A half-a-trillion dollar dilemma

US offices could lose $456 billion in value.

In the heart of midtown Manhattan lies a multibillion-dollar problem for New York, building owners and thousands of workers.

Blocks of decades-old office towers sit partially empty, in an awkward position: too outdated to attract tenants seeking the latest amenities, too new to be demolished or converted for another purpose.

It's a situation playing out around the world as employers adapt to flexible work after the Covid-19 pandemic and rethink how much space they need. Even as people are increasingly called back to offices for at least some of the week, vacancy rates have soared in cities from Hong Kong to London and Toronto.

"There's no part of the world that is untouched by the growth of hybrid working," said Richard Barkham, global chief economist for commercial real estate firm CBRE Group Inc.

Read The Big Take

From today's story

$456 billion
The value US office buildings stand to lose due to lower tenant demand, according to a study by Columbia University and New York University.

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