Analysis of Expiring Office Lease Data in New Jersey

1. Introduction

The demand for a directory or dataset specifically detailing office leases in New Jersey that are approaching their expiration is driven by various stakeholders in the commercial real estate market. These stakeholders, including investors, developers, and tenant representatives, seek such information for strategic planning and decision-making. The user’s request explicitly excludes data from the General Services Administration (GSA), Loopnet, and Costar. This exclusion suggests a need for alternative data sources, potentially offering more localized, granular, or specialized information not readily available on these broader platforms [Introduction]. The focus on “office” leases narrows the scope to a specific segment within the commercial real estate landscape of New Jersey, and the geographic constraint is strictly within the state’s borders. The user’s specification to avoid major commercial real estate data platforms indicates they might be pursuing a competitive advantage or seeking information not widely publicized. This could imply a focus on smaller properties, specific submarkets, or a desire for more direct engagement with property owners or local brokers, as major platforms typically aggregate data across a wide spectrum [Insight 1].

2. Analysis of New Jersey State Government Resources

2.1 New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA)

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) plays a crucial role in implementing significant real estate development projects for established companies, governmental bodies, and non-profit organizations throughout New Jersey ¹. The NJEDA’s activities encompass facilitating projects for research, manufacturing, distribution, and commercial ventures in urban areas. They have developed and continue to implement special economic development initiatives in urban aid municipalities and targeted industries, including technology and life sciences ¹. The agency’s goal is to foster economic growth by helping companies secure facilities and by investing in long-vacant or abandoned properties to transform them into community assets ¹.

The NJEDA is involved in developing and leasing office, laboratory, and production spaces, particularly within urban aid municipalities and targeted industries ¹. They possess the unique ability among public agencies in New Jersey to design, finance, construct, and manage projects for both public and private sector clients, offering options for lease or build-to-suit arrangements ¹. This suggests that the NJEDA likely holds lease information for properties they directly own or manage ¹. Various NJEDA programs and funding opportunities require applicants to submit documentation such as a lease, deed, or co-working agreement to confirm their place of business within the state ². This interaction indicates that the NJEDA handles and potentially stores lease-related documents as part of its operational procedures ². Furthermore, the “Real Estate Procurement Opportunities” section on their website lists bidding opportunities, including some for the lease of property at the New Jersey Wind Port, with links to relevant legal notices ¹.

While the NJEDA is significantly involved in commercial real estate development and management, its primary focus appears to be on facilitating projects and attracting businesses to the state, rather than comprehensively tracking all office lease expirations across New Jersey [Insight 2]. The data held by the NJEDA is likely concentrated on properties they are directly involved with through development, ownership, or management. To ascertain if the NJEDA maintains any publicly accessible reports on their property portfolio or development projects that might indirectly contain lease information, the user should explore their website further ¹. Direct contact with the NJEDA may also be beneficial to inquire about any relevant data they might possess or be aware of ¹. The NJEDA can be reached at (844) 965-1125 or via email at CustomerCare@njeda.com ¹.

2.2 Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES)

The Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES) provides a range of databases related to businesses operating in New Jersey, encompassing business entities, trade names, and trademarks ³. These resources include the Business Entity Name Search and the Business Records Service ³. While DORES offers information about businesses registered in New Jersey, which could provide context, it is unlikely to directly furnish specific office lease expiration data ³, Insight 3]. The Business Records Service primarily focuses on business registration details and does not include information on commercial leases or property ownership ⁴. The function of DORES is centered on regulating and recording business activities, and lease information falls under the distinct domain of real estate transactions [Insight 3]. Although the information about registered businesses might be useful for cross-referencing with other potential data sources, DORES itself is not expected to hold the specific lease expiration data the user seeks.

2.3 Public Sector Contracts Database

The Public Sector Contracts Database contains records of labor contracts for state, municipal, and school district entities within New Jersey ³. While this database indicates the potential for contract information to be available in government repositories, it is specifically focused on public sector labor agreements ³. It does not include details on property leases for public sector entities or private commercial office leases ⁵, Insight 4]. Therefore, this resource is not applicable to the user’s request for information on expiring private commercial office leases.

2.4 New Jersey State Publications Digital Library

The New Jersey State Publications Digital Library serves as a repository for documents produced by the New Jersey State Government for public access ⁶. This library includes collections of images, books, documents, and the New Jersey State Publications themselves ⁶. Among the resources available is a “LEASE INFORMATION BULLETIN” from the Department of Community Affairs ⁷. This bulletin focuses on landlord-tenant rights, lease terms, and related legal aspects in New Jersey ⁷. It outlines the terms of a lease, lease renewal processes, and conditions for lease termination ⁷. However, it does not contain a directory or dataset of specific commercial real estate lease expirations [Insight 5]. While the digital library offers a wealth of information on various topics, a specific, comprehensive directory of expiring commercial office leases is unlikely to be found within its collections [Insight 5]. Government publications generally prioritize policy, regulations, and broad information dissemination rather than detailed commercial market data, which is often considered proprietary [Insight 5]. The user could conduct searches within the digital library using keywords such as “commercial real estate,” “office market,” or “lease trends” to identify any potentially relevant reports or studies that might contain aggregated, non-specific information about lease expirations. However, the expectation of finding a direct directory of expiring leases through this resource should be low. Other sections of the library, such as the listing of business-related databases and legal resources ³, do not explicitly point to a commercial real estate lease expiration database. Resources like the NJ State Archives ⁸ focus on historical records and notices, which are not directly relevant to the user’s immediate need for current lease expiration data.

3. Examination of New Jersey Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Resources

3.1 New Jersey-Based Commercial Real Estate Firms

New Jersey is home to numerous commercial real estate brokerages that specialize in various property types and offer a range of services ⁹. Firms like Wolf Commercial Real Estate (WCRE) ⁹, Bussel Realty ¹⁰, Weichert Commercial Brokerage ¹¹, Avison Young ¹³, and Newmark Knight Frank ¹⁴ are active in the state, dealing with office, industrial, retail, and investment properties. These brokerages often maintain databases of properties they are currently listing for sale or lease. For instance, Bussel Realty provides a property search database for Central New Jersey ¹⁰, and Avison Young offers a search for commercial properties for sale or lease in New Jersey, including office spaces ¹³. These databases might contain information about lease terms or availability dates, which could indirectly indicate upcoming lease expirations for properties they represent.

Individual commercial real estate brokerages in New Jersey are a more likely source of information on specific office lease expirations compared to broad government databases [Insight 6]. Their business operations necessitate having current knowledge of available and soon-to-be-available properties within their market focus. Brokers actively work with landlords and tenants, gaining firsthand insights into lease terms and expiration dates within their specialized areas [Insight 6]. The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) also has a New Jersey chapter with a membership directory ¹⁴, providing contact information for experienced industrial and office specialists who may possess valuable market knowledge. While some firms might publish aggregated market data that alludes to potential lease expirations, detailed lists of specific properties and tenants with expiring leases are generally considered proprietary information and are unlikely to be publicly accessible [Insight 7]. Releasing such detailed data could provide a competitive disadvantage and might not align with their clients’ interests [Insight 7].

Therefore, the user should identify commercial real estate brokerages that specialize in office properties within their specific target submarkets of New Jersey. Exploring their websites for market reports, property listings (which might include lease durations or availability dates), and contact information for individual brokers would be a prudent step. Direct outreach to brokers active in the desired geographic areas is highly recommended to inquire about their knowledge of upcoming lease expirations.

4. Review of Industry-Specific Market Reports

4.1 Market Reports from Commercial Real Estate Firms

Several commercial real estate firms active in New Jersey publish market reports that analyze trends and conditions within the office and industrial sectors ¹⁶. Newmark, for example, provides market reports for Northern and Southern New Jersey ¹⁶. A 4Q19 report for Northern New Jersey ¹⁶ includes data on availability rates, net absorption, and average asking rents, along with examples of recent lease extensions and new leases. However, it does not offer a comprehensive list of all expiring leases. Similarly, Avison Young publishes office and industrial market reports for New Jersey ¹⁸. Their office market report indicates a stabilization in the market with increasing rental rates and decreasing availability, driven by a “flight to quality” towards amenity-rich properties ¹⁸. Their industrial market report focuses on trends in asking rents, leasing volume, and new inventory ¹⁹. While these reports offer valuable insights into the overall health and direction of the market, they generally do not contain specific, property-level data on upcoming lease expirations [Insight 8]. These reports are designed to provide a broad overview of market dynamics for a wide audience and typically use aggregated data for analysis [Insight 8]. Publishing detailed lease expiration data would likely infringe on tenant and landlord confidentiality and is not the intended purpose of these reports [Insight 8]. The website for Weichert Commercial Brokerage highlights property listings but does not prominently feature market reports in the provided snippet ¹⁷.

The user should review available market reports from various commercial real estate firms that focus on the New Jersey office market to gain an understanding of the general market conditions and trends related to leasing. This information can inform their overall strategy but is unlikely to provide the specific dataset of expiring leases they are seeking.

4.2 Industry Publications and Reports

Various industry publications and reports discuss trends related to commercial real estate lease expirations at a national and regional level ²². A report by Lare Diaz Law highlights a significant wave of commercial lease expirations expected in 2025, including a substantial amount of office space, and identifies the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan statistical area (MSA) as one of the most affected ²². Similarly, CRED iQ examined lease expiration data across CMBS office collateral, noting a significant volume of office space with leases expiring in the near term, with the New York MSA having the highest gross space and number of expiring leases ²³. CommercialEdge’s national office report provides data on lease sizes and job formation but does not offer specific New Jersey lease expiration data ²⁴. Globest.com provides news articles on the New Jersey commercial real estate market, covering topics like industrial vacancies and retail acquisitions ²⁵, while Marcus & Millichap’s report focuses on the retail market in Northern New Jersey ²⁶. Analyses of Avison Young and Newmark’s market reports confirm that they do not contain the specific lease expiration data requested ¹⁸.

These national and regional industry reports often discuss trends and statistics related to lease expirations, particularly in major markets like the New York metropolitan area, which includes parts of New Jersey [Insight 9]. However, these reports typically present aggregated data and analysis rather than a detailed, property-by-property directory of expiring leases [Insight 9]. Their primary aim is to inform about broader market dynamics and potential future scenarios, using lease expiration data as an analytical factor but not as a comprehensive database [Insight 9]. The user should be aware of these broader market trends related to lease expirations in the New Jersey area by reviewing such industry reports. This can provide valuable context but will not directly satisfy their need for a specific directory.

5. Exploration of Business Organizations and Associations

5.1 New Jersey Business Organizations

The “Business, Finance & Economy” section of a guide to New Jersey databases mentions several business-related resources ³. These include “Research with New Jersey,” which connects businesses with university experts, and a database of “Funding” opportunities for New Jersey businesses ³. Neither of these resources directly provides information on commercial real estate lease expiration data. The section also lists “NJSTART,” a procurement portal for entities looking to do business with the State of New Jersey ³. This portal is unlikely to contain private commercial lease expiration data [Insight 10]. General business organizations and associations in New Jersey typically focus on broader business development, networking, and advocacy rather than compiling or sharing detailed data on commercial real estate lease expirations [Insight 10]. Commercial real estate data at the level of specific lease expirations is a niche area usually handled by real estate professionals [Insight 10]. While unlikely to be a direct source, the user could explore the websites of major New Jersey business organizations, such as the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, to see if they have any real estate-focused committees or resources that might indirectly lead to relevant data providers.

6. Conclusion and Recommendations

Based on the analysis of the provided research material, a readily available, comprehensive directory or dataset of all expiring office leases in New Jersey, excluding GSA, Loopnet, and Costar, is unlikely to exist in the public domain. State government resources like the NJEDA are primarily focused on their own development projects and economic initiatives rather than broad market tracking of lease expirations. Commercial real estate brokerages operating within New Jersey represent the most promising avenue for obtaining this type of information, as individual brokers often possess knowledge of upcoming lease expirations within their specialized markets. Industry market reports offer valuable context on overall market trends but do not typically contain granular, property-specific lease expiration data. General business organizations in New Jersey are not likely to be direct sources of this specific real estate data.

To find the desired information, the user should prioritize the following recommendations:

1. Focus on New Jersey-Based Commercial Real Estate Brokerages: Identify firms that specialize in office properties within the specific New Jersey submarkets of interest. Explore their websites for property listings, which might indicate lease terms or availability dates. Review any market reports they publish for insights into leasing trends and potential areas of high lease turnover. Directly contact individual brokers within these firms to inquire about their knowledge of upcoming lease expirations. Be prepared to clearly articulate the intended use of the data.
2. Network within the New Jersey Commercial Real Estate Industry: Attend industry events, join relevant associations, and connect with real estate professionals to potentially gain access to this type of information through informal channels and relationships.
3. Consider Subscription-Based or Proprietary Data Providers: While the user wishes to avoid Loopnet and Costar, there might be other, smaller, regional data providers that offer more localized information on the New Jersey market, potentially including lease expiration data. Investigating these could be worthwhile if publicly available sources prove insufficient.
4. Refine Search Terms: When conducting online searches, use more specific terms related to local New Jersey submarkets (e.g., “office space availability [specific NJ county/city],” “commercial real estate trends [specific NJ region]”).

The following table summarizes the potential data sources and their likelihood of providing the requested information:

Data Source Category	Specific Examples/Entities (from research snippets)	Likelihood of Providing Specific Expiring Office Lease Data	Notes/Justification
NJ State Government	NJEDA, DORES, NJ State Publications Digital Library	Low	Primarily focused on development, business registration, or general information rather than detailed commercial lease expiration data.
NJ Commercial Brokerages	Wolf CRE, Bussel Realty, Avison Young, Newmark, SIOR NJ members	High	Brokers have firsthand knowledge of available and soon-to-be-available properties; their business depends on this information.
Industry Market Reports	Newmark Market Reports, Avison Young Market Reports, CRED iQ Reports	Low	Provide aggregated market trends and analysis, not typically property-specific lease expiration data.
Business Organizations	NJ Chamber of Commerce	Low	Focus on broader business development and advocacy, not typically on specific commercial real estate data.

Works cited

1. Real Estate – NJEDA, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.njeda.gov/realestate/
2. Public Information – NJEDA, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.njeda.gov/public_information/
3. Table of Contents – New Jersey State Agency Databases – LibGuides at GODORT, accessed March 20, 2025, https://godort.libguides.com/newjerseydbs
4. Division of Revenue & Enterprise Services: Business Records Service, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.njportal.com/DOR/businessrecords/
5. Search Contracts – perc.state.nj.us, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.perc.state.nj.us/publicsectorcontracts.nsf/Contracts%20By%20Employer%20Search/$searchForm?SearchView
6. NJSL Digital Collections :: Home – New Jersey State Library, accessed March 20, 2025, https://dspace.njstatelib.org/
7. New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Division of Codes and Standards LEASE INFORMATION BULLETIN – NJ.gov, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.nj.gov/dca/codes/publications/pdf_lti/lease.pdf
8. New Jersey Department of State – Statutes & Rules – NJ State Archives, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.nj.gov/state/dos-statutes-archives.shtml
9. Wolf Commercial Real Estate: Philadelphia & South Jersey Commercial Real Estate, accessed March 20, 2025, https://wolfcre.com/
10. Commercial Real Estate Property Search | Central New Jersey – Bussel Realty, accessed March 20, 2025, https://bussel.com/property-search/commercial-real-estate/central-new-jersey
11. Commercial Real Estate Companies in New Jersey – CIENCE, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.cience.com/companies-database/united-states/commercial-real-estate/new-jersey
12. Find a REALTOR® or Office – New Jersey Multiple Listing Service, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.njmls.com/members/
13. Commercial Real Estate New Jersey | Avison Young US, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.avisonyoung.us/web/new-jersey
14. New Jersey Commercial Real Estate Agents Listing, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.siornj.com/member_display.asp?SRC=N&LN=S
15. New Jersey Commercial Real Estate Agents Listing, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.siornj.com/member_display.asp?SRC=N&LN=M
16. NORTHERN NEW JERSEY OFFICE MARKET – Newmark, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.nmrk.com/storage/uploads/documents/4Q19-Northern-NJ-Office-Market.pdf
17. Property Listings – Weichert Commercial Brokerage, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.weichertcommercial.com/property-listings/
18. New Jersey Office Market Reports | Avison Young US, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.avisonyoung.us/web/new-jersey/office-market-report
19. New Jersey Industrial Real Estate Market Reports | Avison Young US, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.avisonyoung.us/web/new-jersey/industrial-market-report
20. North New Jersey (Newark/Jersey City) Real Estate Market …, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.nmrk.com/insights/market-report/northern-new-jersey-market-reports
21. South New Jersey (Greater Philadelphia) Real Estate Market …, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.nmrk.com/insights/market-report/southern-new-jersey-market-reports
22. Commercial Lease Expiration Wave 2025: What Landlords and Lenders Need to Know, accessed March 20, 2025, https://larediaz.law/insights/blog/2025/02/commercial-lease-expiration-wave-2025
23. Over 200 Million Square Feet of Office Leases set to Expire – CRED iQ, accessed March 20, 2025, https://cred-iq.com/blog/2024/01/12/over-200-million-square-feet-of-office-leases-set-to-expire/
24. National Office Report | CommercialEdge, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.commercialedge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/75/2024/10/CommercialEdge-Office-National-Report-October-2024.pdf
25. New Jersey – Commercial Real Estate News (CRE) & Property Resource | GlobeSt, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.globest.com/markets/new-jersey/
26. Northern New Jersey Retail Market Report – Marcus & Millichap, accessed March 20, 2025, https://www.marcusmillichap.com/research/market-report/northern-new-jersey/northern-new-jersey-4q24-retail-market-report