Fort Worth Office Absorption Net Positive

After six years of declines, Fort Worth’s office market is showing signs of life.

In the first quarter 2025, the metro posted 94,118 square feet of positive net absorption, marking the first time since 2019 that more space was leased than vacated, according to a report from JLL reported by the Dallas Business Journal.

The turnaround was driven largely by new Class A leases, led by the United Football League’s 110,000-square-foot headquarters deal with Fort Capital in Arlington’s Entertainment District — the largest lease in the market in nearly two years.

Vacancy remained steady at 17.8 percent, and five of the market’s six submarkets saw Class A space outperform older Class B properties. The Arlington/Mansfield submarket led the charge in absorption, with flight-to-quality moves pushing newer inventory ahead of legacy offices.

Rising demand for high-end space and limited availability are pushing companies toward newer developments. Firms are increasingly questioning whether their current spaces offer enough in-house and nearby amenities to entice workers back to the office and keep them there.

Downtown Fort Worth, Clearfork, the Cultural District and West Seventh are among the most sought-after submarkets, JLL Executive Managing Director Todd Burnette told the outlet.

Class A availability is consequently at a record low.

A 50,000-square-foot office in Clearfork is nearly 80 percent pre-leased, and more than 400,000 square feet of trophy-class office is set to break ground this year in the Cultural District and surrounding areas.

For one, Wells Fargo, which spent nearly two decades in its namesake downtown tower, recently announced a move to Clearfork, where it will anchor a new mixed-use property.

Fort Worth has long lagged behind Dallas in terms of office leasing momentum, but the latest numbers suggest a shift. Large-block spaces are growing scarcer and newer buildings are drawing tenants away from legacy towers. It portends continued shuffling within the market — and fresh demand for premium office footprints.

More movement downtown is likely in the coming weeks, Burnette predicted.

— Judah Duke