Silicon Valley Office Recovery Deepens in 2Q26 as Vacancy Falls to 15.2% and Leasing Hits Seven-Year High
Why this matters
Office continues to trade in two distinct markets: trophy assets in walkable submarkets that are leasing at or near record rents, and commodity Class B and C buildings where the basis is still resetting. Underwriting on the latter has moved toward replacement-cost-minus, with credit underwriting now leaning on tenant covenant and remaining lease term rather than mark-to-market expectations. San Francisco continues to clear office at the deepest discounts to 2019 basis seen in the cycle, while multifamily fundamentals have stabilized and life sciences in the Peninsula remains active. For LP-positioned capital, the read-through is that the bifurcation is now a structural feature of the sector, not a cycle to wait out.
Editorial analysis · Real Estate Trail Editorial
On the RET wire
- The 140th San Francisco story tracked on the wire in August 2026. All San Francisco coverage →
- Disclosed office deal value tracked in August 2026: $16.8B across 63 reported transactions. All Office coverage →
Computed from Real Estate Trail’s own tracked coverage
The Silicon Valley office market posted its seventh straight quarter of positive net absorption in the second quarter of 2026, with vacancy tightening, sublease space clearing and first-half leasing reaching its stron…
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