Poland IT firms continue to drive demand across Poland’s regional office markets

Tenant activity picked up sharply during the quarter, with businesses signing leases for a total of 187,500 sqm of office space—more than 50 pct higher than in the previous quarter. Kraków, Poznań and Katowice proved the most popular destinations, while the amount of vacant office space available across Poland’s major regional cities continued to shrink.

The IT sector remains the backbone of the regional office market, although growth is now coming from a broader range of occupiers rather than the traditional BPO sector, which is still focused on optimising its office portfolios.

Fully remote working has become increasingly uncommon and is now largely limited to start-ups. Larger corporations, meanwhile, are steadily bringing employees back into the office, with most adopting hybrid models that require staff to be on-site two or three days a week.

Another trend that has gathered pace in recent years is the shift towards newer office buildings in well-connected locations with a strong mix of cafés, restaurants and other amenities. However, the supply of this type of space remains limited in many cities.

Older office buildings are increasingly losing out, even when they offer lower headline rents. Modern buildings tend to be more energy-efficient, helping occupiers reduce their overall occupancy costs despite charging higher rents. For many businesses, relocating offers an opportunity not only to optimise costs and reduce the amount of space they occupy, but also to create a more effective and attractive working environment.
Mariusz Wiśniewski, head of regional markets in CBRE's office department

Industry data also points to employees spending more time back in the office. While remote working still dominates IT job adverts, its share is steadily falling. According to research by No Fluff Jobs and HSBC Technology Poland, fully remote roles accounted for 55 pct of vacancies two years ago. That figure has now dropped to 43 pct.

IT companies were responsible for 25 pct of all office space leased across Poland's eight largest regional cities (excluding Warsaw) during the second quarter of 2026. Business services firms ranked second with a 12 pct share, followed by banking and investment companies on 11 pct.

Tenant activity gathers pace

A total of 187,500 sqm of office space was leased during the quarter. That represents a 56 pct increase on the first quarter of the year, although it was still 13 pct below the level recorded a year earlier.

Kraków saw the highest leasing volume at 58,400 sqm, followed by Poznań with 42,800 sqm and Katowice with 25,100 sqm.

New leases accounted for the largest share of demand at 45 pct, ahead of lease renewals at 42 pct, while expansions made up a further 10 pct.

Four new office developments were completed during the quarter, adding a combined 26,600 sqm of space to the market: Wita B and Wita C in Kraków, Selgros HQ in Poznań, and Chorzowska 111 in Katowice.

Kraków remains the largest regional office market outside Warsaw, with a total office stock of 1.87 mln sqm. Wrocław follows with 1.35 mln sqm, ahead of the Tricity area with 1.07 mln sqm.

Despite rising labour costs, Poland continues to attract new investment from the business services sector, particularly in cities such as Kraków, Wrocław and the Tricity. The return to the office and the ongoing shift into newer buildings are also driving vacancy rates lower across almost every regional market, Wiśniewski adds.

Vacancy rates edge down

At the end of June 2026, around 1.17 mln sqm of office space remained available for lease, equivalent to an overall vacancy rate of 17.3 pct. That represents a slight decline both quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year.

Katowice recorded the highest vacancy rate at 22.2 pct, followed closely by Wrocław at 21.8 pct. At the other end of the scale, Szczecin had the lowest vacancy rate at 8.4 pct, with the Tricity at 10.4 pct.

Largest deals of the quarter

The quarter's biggest transactions included Brown Brothers Harriman leasing the entire Wita C office building in Kraków, comprising 13,700 sqm, and Enea Group renewing and expanding its lease to 11,500 sqm at the Business Garden complex in Poznań.