RentCafe data shows 90,300 apartments are being created from former office buildings across the US in 2026, a 28% jump year-over-year and nearly quadruple the 2022 total. New York leads with 16,358 units, followed by Washington, D.C. (8,479) and Chicago (4,360); conversions now make up 47% of all adaptive-reuse projects.
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US office-to-apartment conversion pipeline hits record 90,300 units in 2026
Why this matters for founders
Proptech, construction-tech, and local-services founders can target a booming conversion market — from permitting and design software to move-in services — concentrated in NYC, DC, and Chicago.
Source: CRE Daily (RentCafe data)
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