According to Cushman & Wakefield's analysis, Berlin's office leasing market recorded a take-up volume of 380,400 sq m in the first half of 2026. This represents a significant increase of around 52% year-on-year (H1 2025: 250,000 sq m). As a result, Berlin is clearly leading Germany's major office markets, ahead of Munich, which recorded approximately 329,000 sq m of take-up in the first six months of the year.
The second quarter was particularly dynamic. With a take-up volume of 229,000 sq m, Berlin surpassed its previous all-time record set in 2017 (220,000 sq m).
With a 27% share of total take-up, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector ranked first among all industries and reached its highest share since the 2010s. A key contributor was JetBrains' lease of more than 19,000 sq m in the Hainwerk development. In addition, four further ICT-sector transactions were completed in the size range between 5,000 sq m and 10,000 sq m.
After an extended period of stability, prime rents are also rising again. At €47.00 per sq m/month at the end of June 2026, prime rents were 4% higher than in the previous quarter and also 4% above the level recorded a year earlier. By the end of 2026, prime rents could increase further to around €50.00 per sq m/month.
Dominic Rausch, Head of Office Agency Berlin and Regional Manager East at Cushman & Wakefield, commented:
"Demand for high-quality office space remains very robust in the Berlin market. The strong result in the first half of the year clearly demonstrates this momentum. At the same time, it reflects the fact that leasing processes for a number of larger transactions had been ongoing for an extended period and have now reached completion in close succession. As a result, we expect a stronger overall performance in 2026 than in the previous year. Looking ahead to 2027, however, market conditions are likely to become more challenging again, partly because some of the current momentum has already been realized this year and occupier demand is expected to be less broadly based."
The office completion volume amounted to just 55,800 sq m in the first half of 2026, marking the lowest level of the past ten years.
Rausch added:
"Speculative developments have become the exception rather than the rule. Following a temporary peak in 2027, when completion volumes are expected to exceed 400,000 sq m, delivery levels are likely to settle at a lower level from 2028 onwards for an extended period."
