San Francisco office vacancy improved roughly 370 basis points year-over-year and net absorption hit nearly 800,000 sq ft in Q1 2026 — the strongest since 2019 — driven by AI tenants. AI companies accounted for about a quarter of all leased space in 2025 and over 80% of newly leased space, with submarkets like Mission Bay under 9% vacancy.
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San Francisco office market rebounds on AI, with AI firms 80%+ of new leases
Why this matters for founders
SF prime and AI-adjacent space is tightening fast; founders wanting a Bay Area presence should move on flexible or sublease options soon, while non-AI startups may find better deals in still-soft secondary submarkets.
Source: Yahoo Finance
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