Estimates of the economic rent for a premium office tower inMelbourne CBD are significantly above current and forecast rentallevels. This indicates a constraint on development feasibility which willlead to continued office supply restraint over the coming years. Q1 2026 Click here tosubscribe Key insights The development pipeline is slowing markedly, in part due to a surgein economic rents. Higher construction costs and other marketmovements are making most new developments unfeasible at the Tony McGoughPartner, Head of Research & Consulting, Victoria $951Forecast rent in Q4 2025 42% Gap between economicand forecast rent Forecast rents are estimated at$951/sqm. This is the forecastpremium Melbourne CBD rentexpected in Q4 2028 if rents grow at4% per annum. Economic rents are estimated to be at$1,348/sqm. This is the rent requiredin Q4 2028 to make a new premiumoffice tower feasible to commence nowin Melbourne CBD. Difference between economic rent andthe forecast rent if constructioncommenced in Q42025. Economic rents areabove forecast rents Economic rents haverisen sharply Melbourne CBD economic rents for a new premiumoffice tower are estimated at $1,348/sqm (net facerent) in Q4 2025, a 135% increase since Q1 2021. Economic rents are estimated to be 42% above theforecast level of rent upon development completion– Multiplefactors drivinghigher development costs Development pipelinehas thinned out The development pipeline has thinned out asdevelopers find it difficult to meet feasibility criteria.Post-2026 there is a greatly diminished supply Elevated economic rents are being driven by acombination of higher construction costs, elevatedinterest rates, a softening in yields (and the resulting Viability different in keyprecinctsand projects Developmentdeliverynotviable untilnear2031 Due to bifurcation in the Melbourne CBD marketcertain precincts (especially the Eastern Core)become viable much quicker.Certain projects willstill see the numbers add up. Economic rents are projected to be relatively close toforecast rents in Q3 2029. If realised, this impliesfurther new developments would not be delivered Economic rents have risen ECONOMIC RENTS HAVE RISEN SHARPLY ECONOMIC RENTS ARE ABOVE FORECAST RENTS Economic rents–the level of rent at which theconstruction of a new development becomes feasible–have risen sharply since 2021 due to a significant rise in Both current and forecast premium rents remain wellbelow economic rent levels. In Q4 2025, economic rentswere 42% higher than the estimated rent at developmentcompletion and 60% above current premium rents. This In Q4 2025, for a new premium office tower in MelbourneCBD–starting construction this quarter with a three-yearconstruction period–we estimate that the economic rentrequired upon completion is $1,348/sqm (net face rent).That is, the developer needs to receive an average rent of$1,348/sqm across the building in the first year of leases As a result, the pipeline for new office supply in the CBDhas thinned out with several projects that had previously stated start dates being deferred or moved to mooted afterfailing to meet feasibility criteria. There is littlecommitted new supply beyond 2028. This extended Economic rental growth in Melbourne’s CBD has faroutpaced premium office rental growth in recent years.Since Q1 2021, economic rents have surged by 135%,compared to just 16% for premium rents. As of Q4 2025,the average premium office rent stood at $845/sqm. Melbourne CBD economic rent has risen sharply Estimate of economic rent required at project completion for a Melbourne CBD premium development versus forecast rent [currenmarket rent plus 4% p.a. growth over 3 years] ($/sqm, net face rent) Difference between Melbourne CBD economic and forecast rent (%, economic rent divided by forecast rent) Supply pipeline has fallen and it is no wonder that developers have stepped awayfrom committing to new builds or major refurbishments OFFICE SUPPLY PIPELINE WILL REMAIN CONSTRAINED With economic rents well above forecast levels, thedevelopment pipeline has thinned, as many wait on thesidelines for conditions to improve. We are now seeing thisclearly with new Melbourne CBD office supply forecast toaverage around 56,400sqm per year over the next five yearsjust 42% of the average seen over the last twenty years. Of NEW SUPPLY TO BE SQUEEZED WELL INTO THEEARLY 2030’S The impact this is going to have on the Melbourne CBD isstark. We are expecting to see a prolonged squeeze on newsupply going well into the early 2030’s. New supply is going to fall to below 1% of actual stock and remain therewell into the 2030’s. This compares to the average increasein stock of 3% over the previous 20 years. Supply is not LIMITED NEW SUPPLY POST 2026 Post 2026 there is very little expected to be delivered, andonly one premium building projected to be completed andthat is not until 2029-30 (600 Collins St offering 60,000sqm). This can be seen as du