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Office buildings in São Paulo faced one of their biggest crises during the pandemic. As lockdowns progressed, many companies opted to abandon physical office spaces. However, with the end of health restrictions and the economic recovery, the scenario has once again become more favorable for corporate office landlords.
The worst moment came in the third quarter of 2021, when the vacancy rate peaked at 22.5%. This figure was surpassed in 2023, but the increase was due to the delivery of new developments.
The Class A+, A, and B office market saw its vacancy rate rise from 14.6% in Q1 2020 to a peak of 22.5% just over a year later—an increase of 7.9 percentage points (p.p.). Currently, the city has a vacancy rate of 21%.
The Marginal Pinheiros region was one of the hardest-hit areas during the pandemic. In Q1 2020, its vacancy rate was 28.4%. At the height of the crisis in Q3 2021, this figure rose to 41.1%. Since then, recovery has been slow, with a minimal decrease of just 0.1 p.p.
During this period, Marginal Pinheiros did not see a significant influx of new developments. A total of 40,000 m² was delivered, including 18,000 m² in 2021, 8,500 m² in 2023, and 13,000 m² in 2024.
Another region significantly impacted was Chucri Zaidan, which, in addition to the pandemic, also received a substantial amount of new inventory. In Q1 2020, its vacancy rate was 16.8%, but by 2021, it had doubled to 32.9%. Despite this, the region has been recovering and currently records a vacancy rate of 21.2%.
Faria Lima, one of the country’s main office hubs, has also shown signs of recovery, although it has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. Before the lockdown and health measures, the region had a vacancy rate of 7.4%. In 2021, this figure peaked at 11.9%, but it has since improved to 9% – a nearly 3 p.p. recovery from the height of the pandemic.
Three regions stand out in the study: two for returning to pre-pandemic levels and one for recording even lower vacancy rates than before.
Berrini, which had a 17.9% vacancy rate before the pandemic and reached 26.6% at the peak of the crisis, now reports 18.2%, nearly matching its 2020 levels. A similar situation occurred in the Paraíso region, which went from 16.9% in Q1 2020 to 30.7% in 2021 but has now dropped to 17.8%.
The most notable recovery, however, is Moema. In 2020, the region had a 22.9% vacancy rate, which rose to 28% in 2021. Today, the figure stands at 21.8%, lower than before the pandemic, demonstrating a faster recovery.











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