Colliers‘ Executive Vice President Robert Listokin negotiated a long-term lease on behalf of FirstService Residential for 65,430 square feet of office space in Plantation Commerce Center.

Cushman and Wakefield’s Travis Herring and Chase Kulp represented the landlord, WPIP Plantation Properties, LLC., in the deal. The four-story Class A office building is located at 1601 SW 80th Terrace in Plantation.

“The search for their southeastern U.S. headquarters has been years in the making and we’re pleased to have assisted them throughout the process of finding a suitable space,” said Listokin. “This opportunity will allow them to migrate their operations to a soon-to-be renovated and highly-accessible location that fulfilled their needs.”

The 120,923-square-foot office building features lake views, is strategically located within a 10-minute drive from Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and provides abundant parking with a 5.5/1,000 SF ratio. The property also offers prime building signage fronting I-595 which FirstService will be utilizing. FirstService will become the largest tenant at the property as they will occupy over two floors in the building starting in April of next year. The lease brings the property to approximately 85% occupancy as it undergoes major renovations. Ownership is currently renovating all common areas of the building, including the main lobby, corridors, elevators, and restrooms.

“As we began to witness business and markets returning to normalcy post-pandemic, we worked diligently to find them the best fit for their requirements,” said Listokin. “Our strategic search was on a timely basis since the migration of their operations also involved the recent sale of their 40,000 SF property in Boca Raton,” which Listokin also facilitated.

FirstService Residential is North America’s most prominent property management leader, partnering with more than 8,500 communities in neighborhoods across the U.S. and Canada. Their expertise includes providing exceptional property services to condominiums, cooperatives, and single-family communities; master-planned, lifestyle, and active adult communities; and mixed-use rental properties. HOAs, community associations, condos, and strata corporations rely on their extensive experience, resources, and expertise to maximize property values and enhance residents’ lifestyles.

The Broward County office market has continued its recovery in the second quarter of 2022, fueled by steady tenant demand and population growth. Heavy leasing activity was seen throughout the market, with approximately 2.1 million square feet leased in the county, and more than 134,000 square feet leased year-to-date in the Plantation submarket. As a result, the vacancy rate in Plantation dropped to 12.7%, a 20-basis point decrease quarter-over-quarter. Additionally, the Plantation office rental rate has increased 2.8 percent year-over-year to $34.27 per square foot. With ongoing favorable market conditions and limited new construction, Plantation’s office market is expected to remain strong throughout the remainder of 2022.

The FirstService Residential deal was the largest lease signed in Broward County in the second quarter of the year.