Leasing cools in Q3 after a record-setting four-quarter run
After four consecutive quarters above 1.2 million square feet (msf), Charlotte office leasing slowed to 0.6 msf in Q3 2026, below the five-year quarterly average of 0.8 msf. The decline reflects a lull in large-block deals rather than weaker demand, with midsize transactions leading activity, led by Huber Engineered Woods' 51,428-square-foot (sf) relocation and Lincoln Financial's 42,130-sf renewal. Trailing four-quarter leasing totaled 4.8 msf, up 34.0% year over year, buoyed by financial services arrivals such as Capital Group and SMBC. With most pre-pandemic leases now expired, move-outs have fallen to a four-year low as occupiers settle into right-sized footprints.