Law firms lead office space demand in Washington, DC
Among tenants seeking 15,000 square feet (sf) or more of office space in Washington, DC, law firms account for 27.2% of the total 4.4 million sf in demand. This positions the legal industry as the primary driver of large block office leasing in recent years, followed by non-profits and associations.
Some tenants carry above-average demand for office space within their industries, such as defense, government, and technology. For example, a single large defense contractor represents 11.4% of total office demand in DC, despite making up just 1.4% of active tenants.
This trend continues into the tech and government sectors, which account for 11.7% and 11.2% of space requirements respectively while comprising only 5.4% and 4.1% of the tenant base in the market.
In contrast, non-profits and associations, while representing 27% of tenants in the market, account for just 12.5% of total demand – indicating a preference for smaller office footprints.