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A new analysis by researchers at commercial brokerage JLL has concluded that a high level of amenities is the key difference between buildings that kept or gained tenants over the last four years, and those that lost tenants.

U.S. office buildings with 10 or more amenities plus one signature amenity like a roof terrace or a full-service fitness center have weathered office tenants’ broader downsizing trend since the pandemic. Buildings meeting that definition collectively gained 23 million square feet of net absorption since the second quarter of 2020, when the pandemic began. At the same time, JLL found, the rest of the nation’s urban class A office properties have lost more than 50 million net square feet of office occupancy.

“Differentiation and quality are the primary drivers of rent premiums gained through amenitization,” Jacob Rowden and Elena Lanning wrote.

Roof terraces performed the best, adding a 5.2 percent premium to rents in buildings that had them over the rest of their same submarket’s typical class A rent, followed by a courtyard with outdoor seating at 3.5 percent.

A fitness center with showers was the next-most impactful amenity, adding a 2.9 percent rent premium, followed by two “green” amenities: LEED certification (2.8 percent premium) and EV charging stations (2.2 percent premium).

The state’s two biggest office markets – Fairfield County and Greater Hartford – have suffered continuous softness in recent years, with owners of at least two large buildings in downtown Hartford battling foreclosure proceedings while large office buildings in Fairfield County are clocking in the biggest vacancy rates.