Signs of noticeable recovery

Following a period of consolidation in 2025, the Berlin office market is looking ahead to the current year with resilience and optimism. Despite a decline in space take-up, the segment up to 1,000 m² proved to be the market’s reliable backbone thanks to a large number of transactions. While confidence in prime locations is underscored by a stable, high prime rent of 45.00 EUR/m², the vacancy rate—which has risen moderately to around 8%—offers prospective tenants new opportunities for quality and expansion strategies. In addition to attractive landlord incentives and the revitalization of high-quality existing spaces, promising sectors such as AI, green tech, and defense technology are currently emerging as new drivers of demand. For the full year 2026, Engel & Völkers Commercial forecasts a noticeable market recovery with an expected take-up of 500,000 to 550,000 m², from which sustainable, ESG-compliant properties will benefit most.