Hong Kong’s Central tops list of world’s most expensive office markets

Premium office occupancy costs in Hong Kong’s Central now 60 per cent more expensive than New York’s Midtown.

December 11, 2018

Hong Kong’s Central has the world’s most expensive rent for premium offices for the fourth year running, according to data from global real estate consultant JLL. The submarket boasts occupancy costs – including rent, taxes and service charges – that are 60 per cent more expensive than New York’s Midtown and nearly 75 per cent more expensive than London’s West End.

JLL’s Premium Office Rent Tracker (PORT), now in its fourth edition, crunches data on the achievable rent in the highest quality building in the premier office districts of 61 cities.

According to JLL, the high occupancy costs of Hong Kong’s Central are driven by Chinese firms snapping up Grade A office space, although this demand has decreased in the last quarter. This has led some companies to search for more affordable office locations in decentralised locations.

“Hong Kong is a key financial hub in Asia, and Central is still the most important financial district. But vacancies are low in Central, which has pushed office rents up. Companies are now looking beyond Hong Kong’s traditional core office markets with more than half of all new lettings in the third quarter of 2018 taking place in decentralised locations. Hong Kong East and Kowloon East have emerged as favoured alternatives. Notable tenants who have shifted to Hong Kong East recently include Ernst & Young and Baker McKenzie,” says Denis Ma, Head of Research, JLL Hong Kong.

While Hong Kong East has traditionally been seen as a back office location by multinationals, it is increasingly being viewed as a prime office location.

“Total occupancy costs in Hong Kong East are 64 per cent lower than in Central while Kowloon East is 76 per cent lower than Central. The finance, insurance, real estate and business services sectors have been shifting to Hong Kong East, and now account for about 37 per cent of the tenant base. More tech and legal companies are also relocating from Central to Hong Kong East,” adds Ma.

Districts in cities in Greater China (Hong Kong, Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai) now represent six of the top 10 most expensive premium office markets in Asia. As a result, decentralisation is taking place in many Chinese cities as companies look to make savings, with premium occupancy costs averaging US$338 per square foot in Hong Kong’s Central, US$189 per square foot in Beijing’s Finance Street, and US$131 per square foot in Shanghai’s Pudong district. Meanwhile Singapore made its way into the top 10 for Asian cities, up from 14th place in 2017.

Financial services companies are willing to pay for premium office space

The banking and financial services industry are the top occupiers of premium office space globally, as the leading sector in more than half of the 72 markets covered.

“High-value, high-margin businesses in financial services such as private, corporate and investment banking firms, rent premium office space in Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo and Singapore. While cost remains a key factor, these companies prioritise access to talent and the need for amenities when selecting their next office location. They target premium quality buildings to attract and retain top talent, which also helps to enhance their brand image,” says Jeremy Sheldon, Managing Director, Markets and Integrated Portfolio Services, JLL Asia Pacific.

Corporate occupiers across all industries are seeking to consolidate and streamline their portfolios in strategic locations. There is growing recognition of the role that real estate plays in talent attraction and retention. Hong Kong’s Central is a prime example for its excellent transport connectivity, local amenities, and the quality of digital infrastructure – factors that organisations consider when choosing their next office location.

Download the Premium Office Rent Tracker report here.

Notes:

In this fourth edition of JLL’s Premium Office Rent Tracker (PORT), we compare like-for-like occupation costs across 72 major office markets in 61 cities. The 2018 edition includes a further 18 markets from 2017, where we included 54 major markets in 46 cities of differing function and evolution.

Premium office rents refer to the ‘top achievable’ in units over 10,000 square feet (or approximately 1,000 square metres) in the premium building in the premier office district of each city. In tall buildings, the middle zone is used as the benchmark. The report excludes rents that represent a premium level paid for a small quantity of space or highly prestigious units where a significant premium applies.

Total occupancy costs are calculated by combining the net effective rent with additional costs (e.g. service charges, taxes).

The average total occupancy costs of the top 20 tracked markets in Asia Pacific are as follows:

 

Country

Market

Total occupancy cost (USD)

1

Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Central

$338

2

China

Beijing, Finance St

$189

3

China

Shenzhen

$155

4

China

Beijing, CBD

$153

5

Japan

Tokyo, Marunouchi

$148

6

India

Delhi, Connaught Place

$142

7

China

Shanghai, Pudong

$131

8

Hong Kong

Hong Kong East

$122

9

Japan

Tokyo, Shinjuku

$118

10

Singapore

Singapore

$108

11

China

Shanghai, Puxi

$102

12

Australia

Sydney

$102

13

South Korea

Seoul

$99

14

India

Mumbai

$96

15

Japan

Osaka

$94

16

Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Kowloon East

$83

17

China

Guangzhou

$76

18

Taiwan

Taipei

$66

19

Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City

$59

20

Indonesia

Jakarta

$57

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About JLL


JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. Our vision is to reimagine the world of real estate, creating rewarding opportunities and amazing spaces where people can achieve their ambitions. In doing so, we will build a better tomorrow for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of 88,000 as of September 30, 2018. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com