Atlanta office leasing slows as economic uncertainty meets tight supply

The Atlanta area continues to have a glut of unused office space, but the companies looking for the cream of the workspace crop are increasingly finding limited choices.

It’s turned high-end office districts like Midtown or along the Beltline into a fast-paced game of musical chairs where companies are vying for a select handful of open spaces.

“There’s only so many blocks, and there’s more users than blocks of space,” said Ellen Stern, an Atlanta-based senior vice president with real estate service firm CBRE.

Nearly a third of all office square footage remained available to rent at the end of June, according to CBRE . The overall pace of leasing has also slowed. But there’s a wide gap between luxury office properties, often called class A or trophy, and aging and less-opulent buildin