Today’s Office Market Drivers: The Continued Flight to Quality & Amenities
One of the most important forces shaping the 2026 office market is the continued flight to quality — and it’s having a direct impact on how tenants evaluate space and make leasing decisions.
As a follow-on in our Office Market Drivers & Trends Shaping 2026: Top Priorities for Today’s Tenants series, we break down the key trends influencing office strategy this year — and in this installment, we focus on Why Premium Office Space Is Driving Leasing Activity in 2026.
Across the U.S., tenants are increasingly gravitating toward Class A, amenity-rich buildings, while older Class B and Class C assets face growing pressure to remain competitive. This shift isn’t just about aesthetics. It reflects a deeper recalibration of what organizations expect from their workplaces in a hybrid era.
In this video, CBIZ Gibraltar’s Steve Joseph addresses the growing preference for premium, amenity-rich buildings and what it means for tenants navigating today’s market.
Why the Flight to Quality Matters
Tenants today are prioritizing buildings that do more than simply provide square footage. They are seeking workplaces that actively support productivity, collaboration, and talent attraction. Premium buildings typically offer:
- Modern, efficient layouts that maximize usable space
- Flexible floor plates designed for hybrid collaboration
- Co-working style amenities and shared environments
- Strong transit access and walkable locations
- Hospitality-driven features that elevate daily workplace experience
Newer buildings are often purpose-built around these priorities, making them inherently more adaptable. For tenants, that efficiency translates into better space utilization and a workplace that justifies in-office time.
Pressure on Older Buildings — and Emerging Opportunities
As demand concentrates in top-tier properties, older Class B and Class C buildings face increasing risk of long-term obsolescence unless ownership commits to meaningful reinvestment.
Opportunistic investors are actively acquiring discounted assets, but purchasing at a lower basis alone is not enough. To compete for tenants, owners must modernize infrastructure, amenities, and tenant experience.
For tenants, this dynamic can create opportunity. Well-executed repositioning projects may offer value-driven alternatives to premium towers without sacrificing quality. The key is identifying which buildings are being thoughtfully upgraded versus those that are not.
Premium Absorption Continues Despite Elevated Vacancy
Even as overall office vacancy stabilizes nationally, premium buildings continue to capture a disproportionate share of leasing activity. Higher absorption rates in well-amenitized properties demonstrate that tenant demand remains concentrated at the top of the market.
This bifurcation is likely to persist. Organizations are no longer evaluating office space purely on cost — they are assessing how environments support culture, collaboration, and recruitment. Buildings that fail to evolve risk falling further behind.
What This Means for Tenants in 2026
For tenants reassessing their office footprint, the flight to quality should serve as a strategic lens. Organizations should evaluate:
- Whether their current space aligns with evolving workforce expectations
- The long-term competitiveness of their building
- Opportunities to leverage current market conditions to upgrade quality
- Emerging repositioned assets that may deliver strong value
The office is increasingly a performance tool. Prioritizing quality is no longer optional — it is a competitive necessity.
Watch this video for additional perspective from our team, and stay tuned for the next installment in our series as we continue unpacking the trends shaping tenant strategy in 2026.