But what are tech firms currently looking for from their office space, and how are they driving the markets in the different regions?
As the tech industry has continued to expand and garner attention, especially due to the rise of AI, the real estate strategies of tech companies have increasingly also risen in interest as landlords and developers look to attract them as occupiers.
Amenity-rich, but attendance poor?
Given the incredible competition for the best talent in the sector, it’s not surprising that many tech firms see their office space as a means to differentiate and attract employees, and are therefore offering amenity-rich, highly-designed spaces, often investing heavily in the best prime office space available.
The sector has been slower to return to the office than others, although our analysis of tech leasing deal trends over the last three years shows that attendance is likely increasing. Take, for instance, tech company leasing deals over period H2 2023 to H1 2024 (see graph below). These show that across the tech cities we monitor, over 70% of deals were for the same, or a reduced, office footprint, with lease renewals common in this period, as pre-existing office spaces largely continued to accommodate needs as many introduced or extended hybrid working methods post-pandemic. More recently, however, and that trend has reversed: between H2 2024 and H2 2025, more leasing deals were done for tech companies requiring additional space, indicating that they’re in growth mode and/or that more staff are now in the office more often.
Tech is a driving force in many real estate markets
When looking at the role that tech companies play in real estate markets around the world, it’s clear that in many locations they’re a force to be reckoned with. In North American cities, tech companies accounted for 29% of the largest leasing deals since early 2024, compared to 25% in APAC and 11% in EMEA, perhaps reflecting the ascendency and growth of US tech companies in their home markets. However, when examining cities where tech is the dominant industry – namely Seattle, Shenzhen and San Francisco – more than 50% of all occupier deals came from the sector.
Globally, New York led for tech office space take-up by volume in 2025, followed by San Francisco – both cities top Savills latest Tech Cities Index – and Tokyo. When crunching by average tech office deal size, New York is top again, then Delhi and Boston. Tech and media occupiers saw 86% higher transaction volumes in the second half of 2025 compared to the first half in our Market Makers report, driven by strong EMEA activity where momentum and enthusiasm in the AI sector is driving large deals across the region.
The data shows how the tech sector is shaping the real estate markets where it is a dominant player, and how it’s increasingly influential in growing geographies which, while currently smaller on a global stage, are currently punching above their weight as potential growth clusters for tech occupiers. As an industry that is clearly committing to the office as an essential part of its growth strategy, it is one the real estate sector needs to make sure is understood and provided for.
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