Office Demand in Seattle Suddenly Back and Bigger Than Ever

The fortunes of commercial real estate in Seattle have completely reversed since February, according to a new analysis.

2 minute read

May 10, 2021, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Mount Rainier

CK Foto / Shutterstock

Gene Balk shares news of a sudden recovery in office demand in Seattle.

Before the pandemic, Seattle was home to a booming tech industry and was consistently ranked among the fastest growing cities in the United States. As recently as February 2021, Balk was writing about the catastrophic collapse of demand for office spaces. But since then, demand has come roaring back, according to the Office Demand Index produced by VTS, the New York-based company that provides leasing and asset management software for commercial real estate landlords.

"From 2018 to 2019, Seattle had an average monthly index score of 90. That, of course, was before the pandemic had closed down offices, requiring millions of employees to work from home. By December 2020, Seattle’s index number had plummeted to a dismal 17," writes Balk. "But in 2021, Seattle has experienced a tremendous rebound, with interest in new office space growing each month. As of March, the index for interest in office space had shot past the pre-pandemic average, hitting 107."

According to researchers at VTS, the sudden shift is the result of pent-up demand and companies seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and working to get a jump on the market. There's another big caveat among he data shared by VTS: office space leasing for the tech industry is still far slower than pre-pandemic levels. "But a surge in interest in office space from other major industries in Seattle — health care, legal and professional services — has made up for that."

Monday, May 3, 2021 in The Seattle Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Looking out at trees on 4th Street in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism

After a vandal destroyed dozens of downtown LA trees, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to replace them. Days later, she slashed the city’s tree budget.

April 23 - Torched

White and blue Sacramento regional transit bus with one bike on front bike rack.

Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras

The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.

April 23 - Streetsblog California

View of downtown Seattle with Space Needle and mountains in background

Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum

Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.

April 23 - Next City