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JLL has introduced a new framework for assessing Shanghai’s Grade A office buildings, identifying a category called Elevated Premium Grade A offices based on development and operational performance. The framework, outlined in the consultancy’s latest white paper, uses three traditional development criteria alongside five additional dimensions covering human-centric experience, asset management adaptability, submarket empowerment, sustainability and intelligence. JLL’s Q2 2026 data showed that these higher-performing offices recorded average rents of RMB 8.5 per sq m per day, with nearly 70% reporting stable or rising rents during H1 2026. Their leasing velocity for projects completed after 2022 was 2.7–2.9 times that of regular Grade A offices, while 94% of relocation demand represented upgrades.
JLL has launched a new office building assessment framework for Shanghai, introducing the category of Elevated Premium Grade A offices to better reflect changing occupier requirements and growing differentiation within the city’s Grade A office market. The framework was unveiled in Shanghai on August 18 through JLL’s latest white paper, which assesses office buildings through both development and operational perspectives.
The new framework, termed the “3+5” assessment model, builds on three established criteria: specifications and facilities, location and accessibility, and amenities and services. It adds five further dimensions — human-centric experiences, asset management adaptability, submarket empowerment, sustainability and intelligence — to provide a broader assessment of office buildings.
JLL developed the framework following its long-term monitoring of Shanghai’s office market, supported by a survey of 103 office tenants and detailed interviews with landlords. The consultancy said traditional Grade A assessment methods, which have primarily focused on physical specifications, are becoming less adequate as occupier requirements diversify and differences between office assets become more pronounced.
Shanghai’s position as a global business centre continues to support office demand. JLL said the city’s economic output ranks first nationally and fifth globally, while its science and technology capabilities continue to strengthen its international competitiveness. The city remains a location for multinational corporations, major companies and skilled professionals, supporting demand for office space and upgrades.
Under the new framework, buildings performing strongly across all eight dimensions are classified as Elevated Premium Grade A offices. JLL said these properties have demonstrated stronger rental performance and vacancy characteristics than regular Grade A offices.
Data for the second quarter of 2026 showed average rents for Elevated Premium Grade A offices at RMB 8.5 per sq m per day. Nearly 70% of projects in the category recorded either positive or unchanged rents during the first half of the year, indicating greater rental resilience compared with the wider office market.
Leasing performance has also differed between the two categories. Among office projects completed after 2022, Elevated Premium Grade A properties recorded leasing absorption at 2.7–2.9 times the pace of regular Grade A offices.
Tenant relocation patterns further indicate a preference for higher-quality assets. Of relocation transactions involving Elevated Premium Grade A buildings during the past 12 months, 94% represented upgrades, according to JLL. The consultancy said this reflects the continuing flight-to-quality trend among occupiers.
With office land availability in core locations becoming increasingly constrained, JLL expects the supply of such high-performing assets to remain limited over the medium to long term. It forecasts an approximately 6% compound annual growth rate in rents for Elevated Premium Grade A offices over the next five years.
JLL said the framework is intended to provide governments with a reference for regional resource allocation, landlords with a basis for improving assets across the eight dimensions, and occupiers with a broader mechanism for identifying higher-quality office buildings. The consultancy said the methodology represents a further development in its long-term approach to defining benchmarks for Shanghai’s office market.
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