Quarterly Market Overview For more information, please contact: David Mendel, Public Relations Manager 2017 Third Quarter Phone: 713.629.1900 ext. 258 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE E‐mail:
[email protected] HOUSTON’S OFFICE MARKET RECOVERY SLOW, INDUSTRIAL DEMAND REMAINS HIGH HOUSTON — (October 18, 2017) — Houston’s commercial real estate market is optimistic after grappling with Hurricane Harvey amid the continued energy recovery, according to quarterly market research compiled by Commercial Gateway, the commercial division of the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR). For office space, direct negative net absorption of 39,995 square feet was recorded; Class A and C showed positive absorption of 246,119 square feet and 18,230 square feet, respectively, while Class B reported negative absorption of 304,344 square feet. Move-ins at 609 Main including four different firms who preleased space in the new building accounted for almost 263,000 square feet of the Class A positive absorption. Year-to-date overall totals are positive for the year primarily due to the first quarter occupancy of 600,000 square feet by BHP Billiton in its new headquarters building, although the firm is leaving behind more than 320,000 square feet that is currently on the sublease market. Space left behind by various firms occupying new properties along with sublease spaces converting to direct space will continue to affect the vacancy rate. The current 16.7% direct vacancy rate is unchanged from last quarter, but up from the 15.5% recorded during the same quarter in 2016. Class A space overall is 16.0% vacant, Class B is 19.1% vacant and Class C is 11.4% vacant.