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Office Insiders · Episode notes · February 26, 2025

Houston Office Stratification

James opens with research showing that 78% of Fortune 500 companies use premium office space as a talent attraction strategy. He says the idea is simple: a company's best employees want the most comfortable office possible. He cites a report that top tier office environments can boost productivity by up to 25%, and says his own move to new offices, with better lighting and amenities, felt more comfortable.

He then turns to absorption. Tier one buildings have absorbed 12.5 million square feet in the last decade while every other building type has lost occupants. His main takeaway is that tenants who are not competing for those premium spaces are going to see some of the best leasing opportunities in Houston's history, and the longer they wait, the better the deals get. He previews a follow-up on where those opportunities are, including markets once considered bulletproof, such as Greenway Plaza.

Key points

  • 78% of Fortune 500 companies use premium office space as a talent attraction strategy.
  • A report cited in the episode says top tier office environments can boost productivity by up to 25%.
  • Tier one buildings have absorbed 12.5 million square feet in the last decade while every other building type has lost occupants.
  • Tenants not competing for premium space may see some of the best leasing opportunities in Houston's history.
  • The longer tenants wait, the better those deals are going to get.
  • Some buildings and markets once considered bulletproof, like Greenway Plaza, are now creating unprecedented opportunities for tenants.
"the longer you wait the better those deals are going to get"
"your best employees want the most comfortable office space possible"
Office Insiders · On air
On locationDowntown Houston from the roofJames Robertson, Jr. with co-host Sruthi · Houston's Commercial Real Estate Show
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Office Insiders is the commercial real estate show Houston never had. Every episode: one building, one deal story, one piece of market intelligence that changes how you think about your own space. Built for CEOs, CFOs and business owners who want to understand the market, not just be told what to do in it. Ten minutes to watch, or listen on your commute.

James and SruthiOne building, one deal story and one piece of market intelligence per episode.
James Robertson, Jr.Host · Principal, Robertson Partners

$2.5 billion closed over 18 years in Houston. Client-first, every time.

SruthiDirector, Design & Client Experience
Co-host, Office Insiders

Sruthi walks every building with James and reads it the way a tenant will live in it.

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