Class B Office Visitation Settles Into New Normal at 72% of Pre-Pandemic Levels

Class B office buildings across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens reached 72% of pre-pandemic visitation levels in August 2026 and have held that range for two years, according to a Real Estate Board of New York analysis of 200 properties. Midtown performed best among submarkets at 89% of pre-pandemic activity, while Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn/Queens hovered around 70%. Midtown South lagged but showed recent improvement. Twenty percent of properties studied now exceed their pre-pandemic visitation rates.

The city’s Class B inventory totals more than 235 million square feet across 1,500 buildings, housing small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits, creative firms, and technology startups. Properties with experienced ownership, strong transit access, and diversified tenant rosters recovered faster than buildings hit by major tenant losses or coworking contractions. Forty-one percent of analyzed properties reached at least 80% of pre-pandemic visitation. REBNY executive vice president Basha Gerhards said policy must account for the wide performance gap between buildings that can compete for tenants and those facing structural challenges.

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RSK: Without much new construction, companies are turning to Class B office buildings and sprucing them up