MONTHLY MARKET UPDATE
October 2026
Sydney CBD office leasing: what tenants are asking for, and what it means for landlords
44briefs
New office briefs, up 76% on October 2025
89%
of briefs want A grade or Premium
9.1mo
Average lead time to commencement
32%
of briefs are 1,000sqm or more (16% last October)
What landlords should take from October
01
Large floors are being looked at again
14 briefs are 1,000sqm or more, against 4 last October. Eight are 2,500sqm or more.
02
Fitted space wins smaller tenants
9 of the 17 briefs under 400sqm require a fitted suite.
03
Plan for 2027 delivery
33 of the 41 dated briefs target commencement in 2027, and 18 ask for early access.
04
Expect sublease competition
12 briefs would consider a sublease or assignment.
Market context
Prime rents are still moving
Sydney CBD Core prime effective rents are up 10.3% year on year, and Premium incentives in the Core have fallen to around 27%, with Premium and A grade availability extremely tight.
Quality is the dividing line
Premium vacancy is 7.7% against 16.6% for A grade and 16.0% for secondary. New supply lands from early 2027, led by Atlassian Central.
Our work
Recent deals
- Confidential | 227 Elizabeth Street | 187sqm
- Confidential | 1 Market Street | 173sqm
- Garnsey Partners | 139 Macquarie Street | 189sqm
- Wise Bank | 66 King Street | 280sqm
Active brokerage
- 150 - 200sqm | A/B Grade | CBD | Q1 2027
- 100 - 150sqm | A Grade | CBD Core | Q4 2026
- 100 - 120sqm | B Grade | CBD Midtown | Q1 2027
- 160 - 200sqm | Premium | CBD Core | Q1 2027
Activity
Briefs per month, May to October: 2025 vs 2026
20252026
7months
in a row ahead of the same month last year. October logged 44 briefs against 25 in October 2025.
Average lead time by requirement size (months)
9.1months
average lead time from enquiry to requested commencement (median 8.3). Under 400sqm: 5.9 months. 1,000sqm and above: 14.2 months.
October enquiry log
| Date | Tenant rep | Company | Size (sqm) | Location | Grade | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Oct | Prosper Group | Confidential | 300-450 | Sydney CBD (City Core, Western Corridor, Midtown) | A or B | Commencement Sep 2027. Fitout access (rent free) Jun 2027 |
| 29 Oct | Prosper Group | Confidential | 400-500 | Sydney CBD (Midtown, Western Corridor, Southern, Core) | A or B | Commencement 1 Jul 2027. Fitout access (rent free) 1 Apr 2027 |
| 27 Oct | Truelove Advisory | Confidential | 500-600 | Primary: Sydney CBD. Secondary: North Sydney or Surry Hills near Central Station | A and B Grade | Q1-Q2 2027 commencement, early access for fit out amendments prior |
| 27 Oct | ResolveXO | Confidential | 300-350 | Sydney CBD (North of Market Street) | A & B | Q2 2027 |
| 27 Oct | Prosper Group | Confidential | 250-300 | Sydney CBD (City Core, Western Corridor & Midtown) | Premium, A or B+ | 1 Oct 2027 |
| 26 Oct | Barratt Jennings Partners | Squiz Media | 150-250 | Sydney City Fringe. Preference for East Sydney, Kings Cross, Potts Point | Good quality, ideally A Grade | Q1 2027 |
| 26 Oct | CBRE | Summer Lawyers | 650-750 | Sydney CBD, Western Corridor, Midtown | A & B | May 2027 commencement |
| 26 Oct | TenantX | Lumary | 150-200 | CBD Core, Western Corridor or Midtown - Sydney CBD | B or Heritage | Access 1 Dec 2026 |
| 26 Oct | JLL | Verkada | 1,500 | CBD Core, Midtown, Western Corridor | Premium / A Grade | Access for fitout from Q3 2027 |
| 26 Oct | CBRE | Confidential | 750-950 | Macquarie Park & St Leonards | A & B | Q3 2027 access |
| 26 Oct | CBRE | Confidential | 1,000-1,300 | Sydney CBD, preference for Core | Premium & A | Q4 2027 |
| 26 Oct | Kernel Property | Veritas Securities | 150-200 | Sydney CBD (north of King Street) | A-Grade, B-Grade & Heritage | 1 July 2027 (access prior) |
| 23 Oct | Nicholas Advisory | Confidential | 100-150 | Sydney CBD, Walsh Bay, The Rocks, Millers Point, Dawes Point | A or B | 1 Feb 2027 |
| 23 Oct | Niche Advisory | Seaco Australia | 100-150 | Western Corridor or Midtown, Sydney CBD | A or B | Access 1 Feb 2027 |
| 22 Oct | CBRE | Confidential | 500-600 | Chatswood, Macquarie Park | A & B | Q2-3 2027 |
| 22 Oct | Savills | Cision | 350-500 | Sydney Fringe, South Sydney, North Sydney | A/B | 1 Mar 2027 |
| 21 Oct | CBRE | Blue current | 400-500 | Parramatta, Rhodes, Sydney Olympic Park | A & B | 1 May 2027 |
| 20 Oct | Niche Advisory | Aquila Super | 80-120 | Surry Hills & surrounding suburbs | A, B, Heritage | Access 1 Mar 2027 |
| 20 Oct | JLL | Takeda Pharmaceuticals | 450-650 | CBD Core, Midtown | Premium / A Grade | Access for fitout from Q4 2027 |
| 19 Oct | JLL | Quantium | 7,000-9,000 | Sydney CBD and Sydney Fringe | A+ Grade | 1 Nov 2028 with prior access |
| 19 Oct | JLL | AECOM | 3,000-5,000 | Sydney CBD, Fringe and North Sydney | Premium and A Grade | Lease expires 31 May 2029. Could relocate as early as late 2027, subject to avoiding double rent |
| 19 Oct | Tenant CS | Watts McCray | 300-400 | Sydney CBD | A & B | Q2 2027 |
| 15 Oct | Tenant CS | Morgan Shaw Advisory | 150 | Sydney CBD, boundary between Town Hall & Wynyard | A, B | Q2 2027, early access for fitout |
| 14 Oct | CBRE | AstraZeneca | 2,500-3,500 | Macquarie Park, Chatswood and North Sydney | A & B | Q1 2028 access |
| 14 Oct | CBRE | Toast | 180-220 | Sydney Fringe (Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Chippendale, Haymarket) | A | 1 Mar 2027 |
| 14 Oct | ResolveXO | Confidential | 850-1,000 | Sydney CBD, north of Park St, east of and including Kent St | A Grade & High B Grade | Access early Q3 2027; lease commencement no earlier than Q1 2028 |
| 13 Oct | Colliers | Confidential | 5,000-7,000 | Sydney CBD & City Fringe | A Grade or creative | Mid-2028 |
| 12 Oct | Direct | BCAlign | 90-130 | Sydney CBD core | Not specified | Q4 2026 |
| 12 Oct | PDNSW | Confidential | 650 | Bondi Junction | A Grade | 1 Jul 2027 |
| 12 Oct | Tenant CS | Specialist Risk Group | 250-300 | Sydney CBD (Martin Place to Circular Quay, York St to Macquarie St) | A and good quality B | February 2027 with early access |
| 12 Oct | Knight Frank | Slattery Australia | 500 | Sydney CBD (Mid Town, Western Corridor, Core) | A / good quality B | 1 Oct 2027 |
| 12 Oct | Colliers | Confidential | 900-1,350 | North Sydney, Surry Hills, Southern CBD, Western Corridor & Midtown | B-Grade and above | Q2/Q3 2027 |
| 12 Oct | JLL | Netflix | 1,800-7,500 | Sydney CBD & Fringe | Not specified | Scenario 1: Q4 2028; Scenario 2: Q1 2029 |
| 9 Oct | CBRE | Catholic Healthcare | 2,500-4,000 | Macquarie Park | A, B | Q4 2027 |
| 8 Oct | Kernel Property | Confidential | 1,000-1,200 | Sydney CBD (Macquarie St to Western Corridor, Circular Quay to Park St) | A-grade, heritage/alternative | Q4 2027, prior access |
| 8 Oct | Cushman & Wakefield | CrowdStrike | 2,250-3,000 | Sydney CBD & North Sydney | Premium and A Grade | Q2 2027 fitout access; Q1 2028 lease commencement |
| 7 Oct | Knight Frank | Confidential | 9,000 | Sydney CBD and surrounds (metro/transport hubs within 20km of CBD) | A or Prime | Access from 2028 |
| 6 Oct | CBRE | Study Hub | 300-500 | Chatswood, Epping, Strathfield, Burwood & Castle Hill | A, B | Flexible |
| 6 Oct | Knight Frank | Journey Beyond | 1,500 | Sydney CBD including The Rocks | A, Prime | 30 Nov 2027 |
| 6 Oct | CBRE | Amwins | 350-650 | Sydney CBD (City Core, Western Corridor, Midtown, Walsh Bay/Barangaroo) | Premium, A | H1 2027 |
| 6 Oct | Colliers | Confidential | 250-350 | Sydney CBD (Core, Midtown, Western Corridor) | A Grade min | Commencement 1 Jul 2027, early access required prior |
| 1 Oct | CBRE | Confidential | 350-400 | Sydney CBD (City Core, Western Corridor, Walsh Bay/Barangaroo) | Premium, A | 1 May 2027 |
| 1 Oct | TRS | Wybenga & Partners | 300-350 | North Sydney, Sydney CBD | B Grade | 1 Aug 2027 (fitout access 2 months prior) |
| 1 Oct | Colliers | Confidential | 1,000-1,500 | Sydney CBD (Core and Midtown preferred) | A Grade minimum | Q2 2027 |
Talk to us about your building
If you are planning vacancy, refurbishment or a campaign for 2027, we can show you the briefs behind these numbers.
Contact us
Ryan GraceFounder / Director
Trent StephensSenior Partner
Ben ClarkeSenior AnalystBrief data is market-wide, 1 to 29 October 2026, industrial briefs excluded. Figures reflect data as of publication and may be revised if briefs are back-dated.