HOUSTON – CBRE Group, the world’s largest commercial real estate firm with annual revenues exceeding $13 billion, is consolidating its Houston offices and moving out of its downtown location.
For years CBRE has maintained separate offices downtown and in the Uptown/Galleria area. The company has now leased approximately 77,000 square feet at Williams Tower to establish a modern, flexible workplace that reflects its global Workplace360 program.
The Williams Tower space will be designed around the Workplace360 concept, which emphasizes a mix of collaborative and private settings, flexible amenities, and workplace services intended to support employee productivity and wellbeing. CBRE expects the new layout to encourage collaboration while still offering spaces for focused, individual work.
As part of the consolidation, CBRE plans to sublease its soon-to-be-vacated 20,000-square-foot downtown office on the 27th floor of the Bank of America Center at 700 Louisiana. The Bank of America Center, a 1.3 million-square-foot tower, is also losing its anchor tenant as Bank of America prepares to relocate to a new downtown tower currently under construction by Skanska.
CBRE will also vacate its offices at 2700 Post Oak Boulevard, a mid-1970s building connected to The Galleria, consolidating those teams into the new Williams Tower premises. Bringing Houston professionals together into a single location is intended to streamline operations, improve collaboration, and better showcase CBRE’s workplace solutions to clients and the local business community.
“Moving our Houston professionals into one office will allow them to better interact and collaborate in an amazing workplace environment,” said Cody Armbrister, senior managing director at CBRE. “We look forward to demonstrating a new way of working to our clients and to the broader business community in the Houston area.”
Under the lease, CBRE will occupy portions of the 2nd and 4th floors and the entire 5th floor of Williams Tower, the landmark 64-story building long known to many Houstonians as the “Transco Tower.” These floors feature large floor plates, enabling the firm to place a majority of its staff on the same level to foster teamwork and operational efficiency.
The new offices offer high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling glass, and views overlooking the Hines Waterwall Park. The location provides direct connectivity to the Houston Galleria area and convenient access to major freeways—important considerations that influenced CBRE’s decision to remain at Williams Tower and continue its relationship with owner Invesco.
“In today’s Houston market there are numerous, high-quality office buildings for tenants of our size to consider,” Armbrister added. “In the end, remaining a Williams Tower tenant, and continuing our alliance with Invesco, was the best solution for us.”
CBRE’s Charles Gordon and Jon Lee handled lease negotiations for CBRE. The landlord, Invesco, was represented by CBRE team members Dave Hanusa, Bonnie Kelley Dienna, and Jason Presley. CBRE’s internal Workplace Strategy and Project Management teams will oversee the Workplace360 implementation from planning through move-in, coordinating design, construction, and the transition for employees.
Cicily Dostalek, program manager for CBRE’s Workplace360 initiative, emphasized the link between workplace design and business performance: “Better business performance begins with better workplace performance, and at CBRE, we practice what we preach. The concierge services in our new Houston office will free up time for our employees to spend with their families and on personal interests, which will make them happier and more productive, and will further serve to make the workplace a desired destination.”
The move reflects a broader trend among large corporate tenants seeking consolidated, amenity-rich spaces that support hybrid work patterns, employee engagement, and streamlined operations. By centralizing its Houston workforce in a single, modern location, CBRE aims to enhance collaboration, reduce logistical complexity, and provide a showcase for its workplace consulting capabilities.
CBRE’s relocation to Williams Tower signals the company’s commitment to flexible, employee-centered office environments while maintaining a high-profile presence in the Uptown/Galleria business district. The firm’s decision aligns with market preferences for buildings that combine accessibility, campus-like amenities, and strong owner partnerships.
June 21, 2017 Realty News Report Copyright 2017