Atlanta is carrying some strong momentum for office heading into 2026. A report from Avison Young shows strong investment appetite, tenants demanding high-quality space and a scarce amount of development.
Office investment sales activity in the market hit $1.4 billion in all of 2025, marking the highest annual total since 2022 and an increase of 56.3 percent year-over-year. However, this amount remains well below the 10-year average.
CP Group made the largest acquisition, with its $200 million buy of Piedmont Center Portfolio. The next largest were Spear Street Capital and Pacific Retail Capital Partners, purchasing offices for $133.75 million and $77.40 million, respectively.
Overall, it's a fight for quality in Atlanta, as seen nationally for office. Of the 7.1 million square feet of leasing activity in 2025 in the city, 73.5 percent of it came from either Class A or trophy properties.
However, absorption stayed in negative territory, with -125,721 square feet posted in the fourth quarter, taking the full amount in 2025 to -475,265 square feet.
“Tenants are still being careful, but they’re no longer standing still,” Sara Barnes, manager of market intelligence at Avison Young, said in a statement.
“What we’re seeing is very intentional decision-making: companies are prioritizing quality, location and long-term flexibility, which is helping bring a sense of stability back to the market.”
But overall, things appear to be trending the right way in Atlanta. Another important element is that just 224,000 square feet of office product was underway in the fourth quarter, marking the lowest construction amount seen since 2011.
One trend to watch is whether availability continues to tighten among higher-quality assets. This could force tenants to "shift to the next best option," according to Avison Young.
Still, "the market remains attractive to investors, positioning 2026 to build on the positive momentum seen in 2025," the brokerage forecasted
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