Knight Frank, in its latest Asia-Pacific Prime Office Rental Index for Q2 2023, a comprehensive analysis that tracks the rental performance of prime office properties across 23 key markets in the Asia-Pacific region has indicated that office rentals have come quarter on quarter.
The index dropped by 1.6% quarter-on-quarter, maintaining a year-long downward trend since Q2 2022. This brings the annual decline of rents to 3.1%, which can largely be attributed to continued soft conditions in the Chinese Mainland. Vacancies rose marginally by a quarter of a percentage point quarter-on-quarter to 13.8%, which is at its highest level in
over 10 years. However, seen in the context of the delivery of over 4 million sq ft of office space this last quarter, office
demand has held up better than those in US and Europe, with a stronger return-to-office trend. As the region is entering a
new development phase, new supply in 2023-2024 is projected to add close to 10% to existing stock, driving vacancy rates
up further. Consequently, market conditions across most of the region are expected to remain tenant-favourable for the rest
of the year.
Among the highlights are out of the 23 cities tracked, 15 cities reported stable or increasing rents in Q2 2023, compared to 16 in Q1 2023. Perth led the quarterly rental growth at 5.3%, followed by Brisbane at 2.6%. Leasing activity in Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur is rebounding on post-pandemic demand. Slow economic recovery in the Chinese Mainland is amplifying the effects of an elevated supply pipeline, keeping rents under pressure
Tim Armstrong, global head of occupier strategy and solutions at Knight Frank, said: “Landlords in major office markets across the world are managing the effects of both an economic slowdown as well as a return-to-office that has stalled, particularly in the US. Markets in Asia-Pacific have clearly outperformed with higher office utilisation rates compared to other regions, and demand is holding up better supported by a flight-to-quality trend. With the region’s development cycle expected to extend into 2024, the expansion of options will give occupiers leverage to secure favourable leasing terms in the current window, extending the flight-to-quality trend which will amplify the gap between best-in-class and lower-rated assets.”
Christine Li, head of research at Knight Frank Asia-Pacific, said: “The region’s elevated supply pipeline and weaker- than-expected economic rebound in the Chinese Mainland have reset expectations for the Asia Pacific office market to stage a recovery in the short term. While occupiers remain cautious about space requirements, they are also continually evolving responses to hybrid working and higher aspirations for their real estate portfolio, from sustainability ambitions to a more transformational role in operational aspects. These dynamics will continue to fuel strong underlying demand for prime
quality assets, which belies the overall declining rental trajectory, and generate new and different occupier trends across
the region’s occupational markets over the current cycle.”
Teh Young Khean, executive director of office strategy and solution at Knight Frank Malaysia, said: “We are observing strengthening market activity as the business climate continues to stabilise. Enquiry activity is on the rise as companies experiencing growth are seeking expansion and exploiting the tenant market to leverage the opportunity to upgrade the quality of the office space they occupy. Adding impetus to this flight to quality is the emphasis on ESG targets by companies with global mandates and landlords are strengthening their portfolios to deliver spaces that can match these requirements. The commercial office market in Kuala Lumpur continues to be dynamic and activity in sector is encouraging.”
