With just over 100,000 m² of total leased space, Dortmund was the most active office market in the Ruhr region, exceeding its previous year’s result (2023: 81,000 m²) by more than a quarter. The public administration contributed significantly to this performance with four leases, including around 8,500 m² at “The Yellow” and a further 9,700 m² at “Hexagon”.

Most deals were in the small-unit segment, which is typical of the market, according to Brockhoff Managing Director Tobias Altenbeck: “The leasing market for spaces of up to 500 m² is always very active. Last year, however, deals in the 5,000 to 10,000 m² range made a significant contribution to total take-up.”

As in other Ruhr cities, the challenge for 2025 will be to upgrade existing space into modern offices through energy-efficiency refurbishments. Vacating several large spaces in recent years has increased the volume of vacant space, but these properties are often not in a lettable condition. Successful revitalisation projects show that in 2024, modernised existing space even outside the popular city centre, for example in Stadtkrone Ost, achieved prime rents of up to €18/m².

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About Brockhoff

Brockhoff GmbH is one of Germany’s leading commercial real estate brokers and the market leader in the Ruhr region. The owner-managed company, based in Essen, was founded by Eckhard Brockhoff in 1987 and has extensive expertise in marketing properties across the OFFICE, INVEST, RETAIL and LOGISTICS sectors, built on 37 years of experience in real estate. Its portfolio includes the nationwide sale of office and investment properties, office leasing with a focus on the Ruhr region, the brokerage of retail properties in prime 1A locations in small, medium-sized and large German cities, and the leasing and sale of logistics properties. In 2021, ADOMO Beteiligungs GmbH acquired a 41% stake in the company. The remaining 59% is still held by founder and Managing Partner Eckhard Brockhoff.