NYC Office Buildings See Resurgence as Investors Pile Into Bonds

  • Tower debt spreads have tightened over the last few months
  • Special servicing rate of office-backed bonds now above 10%
The Seagram Building, center, at 375 Park Avenue in Midtown East.Photographer: Jose A. Alvarado Jr/Bloomberg

Investors are back to buying office bonds after about two years on the sidelines, committing billions to deals that refinance New York City towers even as the future for older, less well-known buildings remains unclear.

From the Seagram BuildingBloomberg Terminal to The MetLife BuildingBloomberg Terminal, owners of Manhattan’s trophy offices — prime buildings in desirable locations — have sold a slew of commercial mortgage backed securities in 2025. That builds on momentum from the fourth quarter of last year, when there was a $3.4 billion CMBS sale tied to the Rockefeller Center.