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Market Report · District of Columbia · 2026-05-16

Washington

Vacancy Rate

18.8-22.6%

Active Deals

2

Outlook

Cautious

DC CRE market navigating structural rebalancing post-federal shifts; office challenged by high vacancy and conversions, retail/industrial strong with low vacancy.TenantBase Q1 2026

Yields & Returns

Office cap rates: overall 10%, prime 9%.BNP Paribas

Vacancy & Supply

Vacancy Rates

Office: 18.8-22.6%; Retail: 5.7%; Industrial: ~7%; Multifamily: 6.1%.TenantBase, CBRE, Newmark

Supply Pipeline

Office: zero under const, low future; industrial/mf thinning; retail minimal new supply.CBRE, TenantBase

Competitor Activity

Q1 2026: 2001 M St $163M (Stream), 1401 NY Ave $85M (Carr); PPS 15k SF lease; 685k SF office-to-resi conv. Q2 2025: Easterly $119M 1200 1st St.LPC, Cresa

FirmActivityAssetDetailValue
VariousTransactionCommercialQ1 2026: 2001 M St $163M (Stream), 1401 NY Ave $85M (Carr)$163M
VariousTransactionCommercialPPS 15k SF leaseN/A
VariousTransactionCommercial685k SF office-to-resi conv. Q2 2025: Easterly $119M 1200 1st St.LPC, Cresa$119M

Demand Drivers

Federal govt stability, private sector (law firms, consultancies, cybersecurity), life sciences/health, flight-to-quality office, e-comm industrial, discount retail.AZ Big Media, TenantBase

Rental Market

Office asking $54-60 PSF; industrial $17.84/SF (+5.4% YoY); rent growth slowing but positive; concessions increasing.TenantBase, Newmark

Employment & Economy

Unemployment 6.7% Dec 2025 (up), job losses hospitality/education; federal govt anchor.Axios, Newmark

Migration & Demographics

Gained 2.3k residents 2024-25 (0.34% growth, immigration-driven); decade growth 4.3%.USAFacts

Transport & Connectivity

Excellent: Metro rail/bus (2nd busiest US), DCA/IAD airports intl hubs, bike share.Washington.org

Key Risks

Federal downsizing/hybrid work, high office vacancy/obsolete stock, unemployment rise, potential govt shutdown.TenantBase, Axios

Outlook 12–24 Months

Stabilization thru 2026: office via conversions/tight supply, modest rent growth industrial; selective growth retail/mf; overall rebalancing.TenantBase, CBRE