OfficeSalt Lake City

Office Investment in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City office faces a two-tier reality. Class A trophy assets in downtown and Silicon Slopes trade tight at 6.5-7% caps. Everything else sits 100-150 basis points higher. The remote work hangover hit harder here than other Mountain West markets. Tech companies scaled back footprints while financial services stayed put. Your OM better address the work-from-home elephant or buyers will price it in anyway.

Market Context

Cap Rate Range

6.5%-8.5% with Class A downtown at 6.5-7%, Silicon Slopes tech assets at 6.8-7.2%, suburban Class B at 7.5-8%, and tertiary locations pushing 8.5%+

Current Vacancy

18.2% overall, but downtown hovers at 22% while Silicon Slopes maintains 12-14% due to tech tenant concentration

Rent Trend

Down 8% from 2022 peaks, with Class A holding better at -4% while Class B/C dropped 12-15%

Absorption

Negative 450,000 SF over past 18 months, first positive quarter expected Q4 2026

Price Per Unit Trend

Price per SF ranges $180-$380 depending on class and location, down from $220-$420 peaks

Transaction Volume

$340M in 2025, down 35% from 2023 but stabilizing as distressed assets clear

Submarket Analysis

Downtown/CBD

6.8-7.5% cap

Vacancy

22.1%

Avg Rent (1BR)

$28-$35 NNN

Slow recovery as companies right-size footprints

OM Tip

Emphasize transit access, parking ratios, and building efficiency for hybrid work models

Silicon Slopes (Lehi/Draper)

6.5-7.2% cap

Vacancy

13.8%

Avg Rent (1BR)

Best fundamentals but growth slowing

OM Tip

Highlight tech tenant mix and average deal size to show revenue stability

Airport/Northwest

7.8-8.5% cap

Vacancy

19.4%

Avg Rent (1BR)

Value play with logistics synergies

OM Tip

Position as flex space opportunity with industrial conversion potential

South Valley

7.5-8.2% cap

Vacancy

16.7%

Avg Rent (1BR)

Stable but limited upside

OM Tip

Focus on local service tenants and government proximity for steady cash flow story

East Side/Suburbs

7.2-8.0% cap

Vacancy

15.9%

Avg Rent (1BR)

Mixed bag depending on vintage and access

OM Tip

Parking abundance and mountain views help differentiate from downtown alternatives

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What Your OM Needs to Address

Return-to-office metrics

Include badge swipe data, utilization studies, and tenant survey results on space usage patterns

Data to Include

Peak occupancy days, average daily population vs lease capacity, meeting room booking rates

Sublease shadow inventory

Map competing sublease space within 2-mile radius and pricing comparison

Data to Include

Sublease asking rents, tenant improvement packages, lease term flexibility being offered

Tenant improvement obligations

Break down upcoming TI commitments by lease expiration and renewal probability

Data to Include

TI allowances per SF by tenant class, actual historical spend, renewal vs replacement cost analysis

Parking ratio efficiency

Current ratios vs market standard, potential for alternative uses of excess parking

Data to Include

Spaces per 1,000 SF, utilization rates, potential income from daily/monthly parking

Energy efficiency and ESG metrics

ENERGY STAR scores, utility cost per SF, any green building certifications

Data to Include

Actual utility costs, benchmarking against similar properties, capital improvement ROI

Weighted Average Lease Term analysis

WALT by tenant creditworthiness and renewal probability, not just raw years remaining

Data to Include

Credit ratings or financial summaries, historical renewal rates, market rent vs in-place rent gaps

Investment Outlook

Short Term

12-18 months remain choppy. Distressed situations will surface as 2019-2021 acquisitions face refinancing pressure. Buyers can be selective but need patience for due diligence.

Medium Term

2027-2029 should see market clearing. Companies will settle into permanent space needs around 75-80% of pre-pandemic levels. Tech growth resumes but at measured pace.

Long Term

2030+ outlook depends on Utah's economic diversification beyond tech. Data center growth and financial services expansion could support secondary uses. Climate migration may boost long-term demand.

Buyer Profile

Value-add funds targeting 2019-2021 vintage with capital to modernize. REITs avoiding the sector except for trophy assets. Local family offices opportunistic on distressed situations.

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