House of the Week: A Montana Home Perched Atop a Rocky Ridge
Tebbetts, who was familiar with the area from fly-fishing, had a vision for the plot, which borders thousands of acres of federally-managed land. He wanted a vacation home made of concrete, steel and glass that would blend with the terrain.
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Business Wire
12 minutes ago
- Business Wire
Warby Parker Announces Second Quarter 2025 Results
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE: WRBY) ('Warby Parker' or the 'Company'), a direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand focused on vision for all, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025. 'It has been a busy and exciting year marked by major milestones. We celebrated opening our 300th store and distributing 20 million pairs of glasses to people in need around the world. Looking ahead, our partnership with Google to develop intelligent eyewear is a testament to Warby Parker's commitment to innovation as we shape the future of how people interact with AI,' shared Co-Founder and Co-CEO Neil Blumenthal. 'We look forward to sharing more about our AI glasses initiative with Google. In the meantime, our team continues to invest in ways to make shopping for glasses easier than ever, leveraging proprietary digital innovations and AI tools to enable remarkable experiences across channels. This quarter, we launched Advisor, our personalized, AI-driven recommendation tool, which has strong early traction. We believe we are well-positioned for continued innovation and growth heading into the back half of the year,' added Co-Founder and Co-CEO Dave Gilboa. Second Quarter 2025 Highlights Net revenue increased $26.3 million, or 13.9%, to $214.5 million, as compared to the prior year period. Active Customers increased 9.0% to 2.60 million on a trailing 12-month basis, and Average Revenue per Customer increased 4.6% year over year to $316. Net loss improved $5.0 million to $1.8 million, as compared to the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA (1) increased $5.4 million year over year to $25.0 million, and Adjusted EBITDA Margin (1) increased 1.3 points to 11.7%. Net cash provided by operating activities of $40.2 million. Free Cash Flow (1) of $23.9 million. Opened 11 net new stores during the quarter, ending Q2 with 298 stores. Second Quarter 2025 Year Over Year Financial Results Net revenue increased $26.3 million, or 13.9%, to $214.5 million. Active Customers increased 9.0% to 2.60 million on a trailing 12-month basis, and Average Revenue per Customer increased 4.6% to $316. Gross margin was 53.0% compared to 56.0% in the prior year. The decrease in gross margin was driven by $2.5 million of one-time inventory write-downs primarily related to the decision to sunset our Home-Try On program at the end of this year, as well as sales growth of contact lenses, increased store occupancy and doctor headcount, and tariff related costs, partially offset by the benefit from selective price increases and increased penetration of our higher priced frames and lenses. Selling, general, and administrative expenses ('SG&A') were $118.1 million, up $3.8 million from the prior year, and represented 55.1% of revenue, down from 60.8% in the prior year. As a percentage of revenue, SG&A decreased primarily due to leverage from lower stock-based compensation and corporate expenses. Adjusted SG&A (1) was $104.8 million, or 48.9% of revenue, compared to $98.2 million, or 52.2% of revenue in the prior year. Net loss improved $5.0 million to $1.8 million, primarily as a result of leveraging our expense base on higher revenue. Net loss includes $3.8 million of one-time costs in the quarter, including $2.5 million of inventory write-downs primarily related to the decision to sunset our Home-Try On program at the end of this year as well as $1.3 million of restructuring costs. Adjusted EBITDA (1) increased $5.4 million to $25.0 million, and Adjusted EBITDA Margin (1) increased 1.3 points to 11.7%. Balance Sheet Highlights Warby Parker ended the second quarter of 2025 with $286.4 million in cash and cash equivalents. Leadership Update Effective October 1, 2025, Steve Miller is stepping down as Warby Parker's Chief Financial Officer to pursue another opportunity outside of the industry. Co-Founder and Co-CEO Dave Gilboa will assume the roles of principal financial officer and principal accounting officer on an interim basis until the Company appoints a successor. Mr. Gilboa will work in close partnership with the Company's tenured financial and accounting leadership teams to ensure a seamless transition. 'When Steve joined Warby Parker fourteen years ago as our first CFO, he brought financial rigor, strategic vision, and an unwavering commitment to creating impact both inside and outside of the organization,' says Gilboa. 'He's been a close friend and partner throughout the Company's many milestones along our journey from a small startup to a public company. His contributions will be felt for many years to come, and we wish him the best in his next chapter.' 2025 Outlook For the full year 2025, Warby Parker is raising its guidance as follows: Net revenue of $880 million to $888 million, representing growth of approximately 14% to 15%. Adjusted EBITDA (1) of $98 million to $101 million, representing an Adjusted EBITDA Margin (1) of 11.1% to 11.4%. On track to open 45 new stores, including five shop-in-shops at select Target locations 'Our Q2 results underscore our ability to stay agile and focused in a dynamic consumer and policy environment,' said Steve Miller, Chief Financial Officer. 'We're proud to deliver our eighth consecutive quarter of accelerating active customer growth alongside 130 basis points of year over year Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion. It's been a privilege to help guide Warby Parker through more than a decade of growth, including our transition from a private company to a scaled public business. I'm proud of what we've accomplished and confident in the team's continued ability to execute with discipline and purpose.' The guidance and forward-looking statements made in this press release and on our conference call are based on management's expectations as of the date of this press release. (1) Please see the reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measure in the section titled 'Non-GAAP Financial Measures' below. Webcast and Conference Call A conference call to discuss Warby Parker's second quarter 2025 results, as well as third quarter and full year 2025 outlook, is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. ET on August 7, 2025. To participate, please dial 833-470-1428 from the U.S. or 404-975-4839 from international locations. The conference passcode is 754099. A live webcast of the conference call will be available on the investors section of the Company's website at where presentation materials will also be posted prior to the conference call. A replay will be made available online approximately two hours following the live call for a period of 90 days. Forward-Looking Statements This press release and the related conference call, webcast and presentation contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements may relate to, but are not limited to, expectations of future operating results or financial performance, including expectations regarding achieving profitability and growth in our e-commerce channel, delivering stakeholder value, growing market share, and our guidance for the quarter ending September 30, 2025 and year ending December 31, 2025; expectations regarding the number of new store openings during the year ending December 31, 2025; management's plans, priorities, initiatives and strategies; expectations regarding growth of our business; and expectations regarding our ability to mitigate the impacts of existing or new tariffs. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'contemplate,' 'continue,' 'could,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'intend,' 'may,' 'plan,' 'potential,' 'predict,' 'project,' 'should,' 'target,' 'toward,' 'will,' or 'would,' or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved, if at all. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management as of that time with respect to future events. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond our control, that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this press release may not occur and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include our ability to manage our future growth effectively; our expectations regarding cost of goods sold, gross margin, channel mix, customer mix, and selling, general, and administrative expenses; increases in component and shipping costs and changes in supply chain; changes to U.S. or other countries' trade policies and tariff and import/export regulations; our reliance on our information technology systems and enterprise resource planning systems for our business to effectively operate and safeguard confidential information; our ability to invest in and incorporate new technologies into our products and services; risks related to our use of artificial intelligence; our ability to engage our existing customers and obtain new customers; our ability to expand in-network access with insurance providers; planned new retail stores in 2025 and going forward; an overall decline in the health of the economy and other factors impacting consumer spending, such as recessionary conditions, inflation, infectious diseases, government instability, and geopolitical unrest; our ability to compete successfully; our ability to manage our inventory balances and shrinkage; the growth of our brand awareness; our ability to recruit and retain optometrists, opticians, and other vision care professionals; the effects of seasonal trends on our results of operations; our ability to stay in compliance with extensive laws and regulations that apply to our business and operations; our ability to adequately maintain and protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights; our reliance on third parties for our products, operation and infrastructure; our duties related to being a public benefit corporation; the ability of our Co-Founders and Co-CEOs to exercise significant influence over all matters submitted to stockholders for approval; the effect of our multi-class structure on the trading price of our Class A common stock; our ability to achieve milestones necessary for Google's equity investment into the Company and Google's contribution to product development and commercialization costs; our ability to collaborate with partners with successful results; our ability to recognize the anticipated benefits from the partnership with Google; and the increased expenses associated with being a public company. Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations is included in our most recent reports filed with the SEC on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Except as required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise. Additional information regarding these and other factors that could affect the Company's results is included in the Company's SEC filings, which may be obtained by visiting the SEC's website at Information contained on, or that is referenced or can be accessed through, our website does not constitute part of this document and inclusions of any website addresses herein are inactive textual references only. Glossary Active Customers is defined as unique customer accounts that have made at least one purchase in the preceding 12-month period. Average Revenue per Customer is defined as the sum of the total net revenues in the preceding 12-month period divided by the current period Active Customers. Non-GAAP Financial Measures We use Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Adjusted Cost of Goods Sold ('Adjusted COGS'), Adjusted Gross Margin, Adjusted Gross Profit, Adjusted Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses ('Adjusted SG&A'), and Free Cash Flow as important indicators of our operating performance. Collectively, we refer to these non-GAAP financial measures as our 'Non-GAAP Measures.' The Non-GAAP Measures, when taken collectively with our GAAP results, may be helpful to investors because they provide consistency and comparability with past financial performance and assist in comparisons with other companies, some of which use similar non-GAAP financial information to supplement their GAAP results. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net (loss) income before interest and other income, taxes, and depreciation and amortization as further adjusted for asset impairment costs, stock-based compensation expense and related employer payroll taxes, amortization of cloud-based software implementation costs, non-cash charitable donations, charges for certain legal matters outside the ordinary course of business, and non-recurring costs such as restructuring costs and major system implementation costs. Adjusted EBITDA Margin is defined as Adjusted EBITDA divided by net revenue. Adjusted COGS is defined as cost of goods sold adjusted for stock-based compensation expense and related employer payroll taxes. Adjusted Gross Profit is defined as net revenue minus Adjusted COGS. Adjusted Gross Margin is defined as Adjusted Gross Profit divided by net revenue. Adjusted SG&A is defined as SG&A adjusted for stock-based compensation expense and related employer payroll taxes, non-cash charitable donations, charges for certain legal matters outside the ordinary course of business, and non-recurring costs such as restructuring costs and major system implementation costs. Free Cash Flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities minus purchases of property and equipment. The Non-GAAP Measures are presented for supplemental informational purposes only. A reconciliation of historical GAAP to Non-GAAP financial information is included under 'Selected Financial Information' below. We have not reconciled our Adjusted EBITDA Margin guidance to GAAP net (loss) income margin, or net margin, or Adjusted EBITDA guidance to GAAP net (loss) income because we do not provide guidance for GAAP net margin or GAAP net (loss) income due to the uncertainty and potential variability of stock-based compensation and taxes, which are reconciling items between GAAP net margin and Adjusted EBITDA Margin and GAAP net (loss) income and Adjusted EBITDA, respectively. Because such items cannot be reasonably provided without unreasonable efforts, we are unable to provide a reconciliation of the Adjusted EBITDA Margin guidance to GAAP net margin and Adjusted EBITDA guidance to GAAP net (loss) income. However, such items could have a significant impact on GAAP net margin and GAAP net (loss) income. About Warby Parker Warby Parker (NYSE: WRBY) was founded in 2010 with a mission to inspire and impact the world with vision, purpose, and style–without charging a premium for it. Headquartered in New York City, the co-founder-led lifestyle brand pioneers ideas, designs products, and develops technologies that help people see, from designer-quality prescription glasses (starting at $95) and contacts, to eye exams and vision tests available online and in our 298 retail stores across the U.S. and Canada. Warby Parker aims to demonstrate that businesses can scale, do well, and do good in the world. Ultimately, the Company believes in vision for all, which is why for every pair of glasses or sunglasses sold, it distributes a pair to someone in need through its Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program. To date, Warby Parker has worked alongside its nonprofit partners to distribute more than 20 million glasses to people in need. Selected Financial Information Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Amounts in thousands, except par value) June 30, 2025 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 286,384 $ 254,161 Accounts receivable, net 1,139 1,948 Inventory 43,268 52,345 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 15,306 17,592 Total current assets 346,097 326,046 Property and equipment, net 177,156 170,464 Right-of-use lease assets 170,240 171,284 Other assets 8,406 8,696 Total assets $ 701,899 $ 676,490 Liabilities and stockholders' equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 26,037 $ 23,519 Accrued expenses 60,571 51,609 Deferred revenue 21,522 32,358 Current lease liabilities 24,632 20,235 Other current liabilities 2,771 2,633 Total current liabilities 135,533 130,354 Non-current lease liabilities 203,747 205,120 Other liabilities 1,168 943 Total liabilities 340,448 336,417 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' equity: Common stock, $0.0001 par value; Class A: 750,000 shares authorized at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, 105,012 and 102,889 issued and outstanding at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively; Class B: 150,000 shares authorized at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, 16,946 and 17,961 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively, convertible to Class A on a one-to-one basis 12 12 Additional paid-in capital 1,048,699 1,029,220 Accumulated deficit (685,501 ) (687,221 ) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,759 ) (1,938 ) Total stockholders' equity 361,451 340,073 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 701,899 $ 676,490 Expand Warby Parker Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (Amounts in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2025 2024 2025 2024 Net revenue $ 214,475 $ 188,222 $ 438,257 $ 388,225 Cost of goods sold 100,866 82,840 198,668 169,384 Gross profit 113,609 105,382 239,589 218,841 Selling, general, and administrative expenses 118,134 114,338 241,643 232,924 Interest and other income, net 1,984 2,567 4,439 5,123 (Loss) income before income taxes (2,541 ) (6,389 ) 2,385 (8,960 ) Provision for income taxes (789 ) 373 665 481 Net (loss) income $ (1,752 ) $ (6,762 ) $ 1,720 $ (9,441 ) Earnings per share: Basic $ (0.01 ) $ (0.06 ) $ 0.01 $ (0.08 ) Diluted $ (0.01 ) $ (0.06 ) $ 0.01 $ (0.08 ) Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic 122,565 120,086 122,257 119,615 Expand Warby Parker Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (Amounts in thousands) Six Months Ended June 30, 2025 2024 Cash flows from operating activities Net income (loss) $ 1,720 $ (9,441 ) Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 24,648 21,704 Stock-based compensation 21,229 27,879 Non-cash charitable contribution 2,821 2,196 Asset impairment charges 486 421 Amortization of cloud-based software implementation costs 1,488 2,008 Change in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable, net 809 571 Inventory 9,077 8,888 Prepaid expenses and other assets 1,085 (61 ) Accounts payable 1,846 1,384 Accrued expenses 10,752 5,187 Deferred revenue (10,836 ) (10,565 ) Lease assets and liabilities 4,067 1,956 Other liabilities 365 (577 ) Net cash provided by operating activities 69,557 51,550 Cash flows from investing activities Purchases of property and equipment (32,438 ) (32,088 ) Investment in optical equipment company — (2,000 ) Net cash used in investing activities (32,438 ) (34,088 ) Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from stock option exercises 117 2,639 Shares withheld for taxes on stock-based compensation (6,361 ) — Proceeds from shares issued in connection with employee stock purchase plan 1,169 1,068 Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (5,075 ) 3,707 Effect of exchange rates on cash 179 (105 ) Net change in cash and cash equivalents 32,223 21,064 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 254,161 216,894 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 286,384 $ 237,958 Supplemental disclosures Cash paid for income taxes $ 643 $ 345 Cash paid for interest 176 92 Non-cash investing and financing activities: Purchases of property and equipment included in accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 4,645 $ 4,089 Expand Warby Parker Inc. and Subsidiaries Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures (Unaudited) The following table reconciles Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin to the most directly comparable GAAP measure, which is net (loss) income: (1) Represents expenses related to the Company's equity-based compensation programs and related employer payroll taxes, which may vary significantly from period to period depending upon various factors including the timing, number, and the valuation of awards granted, and vesting of awards including the satisfaction of performance conditions. For both the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, the amount includes $0.3 million of employer payroll taxes associated with releases of RSUs and option exercises. For the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, the amount includes $0.9 million and $0.5 million, respectively, of employer payroll taxes associated with releases of RSUs and option exercises. (2) Represents charitable expense recorded in connection with the donation of 178,572 shares of Class A common stock in both May 2025 and May 2024 to the Warby Parker Impact Foundation. (3) Represents costs related to the implementation of major new enterprise software systems. (4) Represents one-time inventory write-downs primarily related to the decision to sunset our Home-Try On program at the end of this year. (5) Expand Warby Parker Inc. and Subsidiaries Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures (Unaudited) The following table presents our non-GAAP, or adjusted, financial measures for the periods presented as a percentage of revenue. Each cost and operating expense is adjusted for stock-based compensation expense and related employer payroll taxes, non-cash charitable donations, charges for certain legal matters outside the ordinary course of business, and non-recurring costs such as restructuring costs and major system implementation costs. Warby Parker Inc. and Subsidiaries Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures (Unaudited) The following table reflects a reconciliation of each non-GAAP, or adjusted, financial measure to its most directly comparable financial measure prepared in accordance with GAAP: Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2025 2024 2025 2024 (unaudited, in thousands) (unaudited, in thousands) Cost of goods sold $ 100,866 $ 82,840 $ 198,668 $ 169,384 Adjusted to exclude the following: Stock-based compensation expense (1) 311 285 584 529 Inventory write-downs (2) 2,456 — 2,456 — Adjusted Cost of Goods Sold $ 98,099 $ 82,555 $ 195,628 $ 168,855 Gross profit $ 113,609 $ 105,382 $ 239,589 $ 218,841 Adjusted to exclude the following: Stock-based compensation expense (1) 311 285 584 529 Inventory write-downs (2) 2,456 — 2,456 — Adjusted Gross Profit $ 116,376 $ 105,667 $ 242,629 $ 219,370 Selling, general, and administrative expenses $ 118,134 $ 114,338 $ 241,643 $ 232,924 Adjusted to exclude the following: Stock-based compensation expense (1) 8,851 13,812 21,579 27,883 Non-cash charitable donation (3) 2,821 2,196 2,821 2,196 System implementation costs (4) 346 — 346 — Other costs (5) 1,341 168 1,866 1,303 Adjusted Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses $ 104,775 $ 98,162 $ 215,031 $ 201,542 Net cash provided by operating activities $ 40,199 $ 31,624 $ 69,557 $ 51,550 Purchases of property and equipment (16,286 ) (17,651 ) (32,438 ) (32,088 ) Free Cash Flow $ 23,913 $ 13,973 $ 37,119 $ 19,462 Expand (1) Represents expenses related to the Company's equity-based compensation programs and related employer payroll taxes, which may vary significantly from period to period depending upon various factors including the timing, number, and the valuation of awards granted, and vesting of awards including the satisfaction of performance conditions. For both the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, the amount includes $0.3 million of employer payroll taxes associated with releases of RSUs and option exercises. For the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, the amount includes $0.9 million and $0.5 million, respectively, of employer payroll taxes associated with releases of RSUs and option exercises. (2) Represents one-time inventory write-downs primarily related to the decision to sunset our Home-Try On program at the end of this year. (3) Represents charitable expense recorded in connection with the donation of 178,572 shares of Class A common stock in both May 2025 and May 2024 to the Warby Parker Impact Foundation. (4) Represents costs related to the implementation of major new enterprise software systems. (5) Represents restructuring costs incurred in the second quarter of 2025 and charges for certain legal matters outside the ordinary course of business. Expand Source: Warby Parker Inc.
CNET
43 minutes ago
- CNET
Today Only: You Can Snap Up a Bundle of 5 Blink Outdoor 4 Cameras for Only $120
If you're looking at setting up a home security system, then starting with a couple of really good outdoor security cameras. Ideally, you want ones that are easy to install, and probably a quality model that's on sale. Well, Best Buy has a deal on today that brings five Blink Outdoor 4 security cameras down to just $120 -- meaning they're just $24 each. That's a $80 saving on the normal price, and it comes with a Sync Module Core to tie it all together as well. This deal is only available for today, though, so act fast if you want it. This five-camera bundle includes a five black Blink Outdoor 4 wireless outdoor security cameras. These are the latest, 4th-gen models in the Blink Outdoor camera lineup. They feature a two-year battery, 1080 HD camera, infrared night vision and two-way talk. They are powered by AA lithium batteries, which are included. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. When there's motion or movement in your camera view, you receive alerts on your smartphone with dual-view of both cameras, so you can always keep an eye on your home but you don't have to be glued to your phone. You can also set it up with your Alexa smart home devices to receive alerts and disarm or activate the system through voice command. Why this deal matters In a nutshell, this is a great chance to buff your home security. Not only do you get the latest in the Blink outdoor camera lineup, you get it for a fraction of the price -- the discount is currently 60%. These easy-to-install cameras are a no-brainer to monitor your home, and at this price, they make a great option for anyone who wants to start their own DIY home security setup.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Major work from home ‘turning point' as employees return the office: ‘Worst behind us'
Australia has reached a 'turning point' as more workers return to the office and vacancy rates begin to stabilise across the country's CBD offices. The shift comes as employers and employees continue to wrestle over work-from-home rights. Australia's CBD office markets are showing signs of recovery, with some major cities recording positive rates for the first time in years as workers head back to the office. The latest Property Council of Australia data found the CBD office vacancy rate had crept up from 13.7 to 14.3 per cent over the first six months of the year, but this was largely due to a wave of new office spaces hitting the market. Despite this, Ray White head of research Vanessa Rader said the data suggested 'the worst of the office market correction may be behind us'. RELATED Work from home rights could cost 1.8 million Australians their penalty rates Little-known Centrelink perk offers Australian students free flights Hidden way Aussies are cutting $20,000 from their tax bill every year The Sydney CBD vacancy rate increased from 12.8 to 13.7 per cent, due to high levels of supply outstripping demand. However, it recorded 56,532 square metres of annual net absorption of space, which was the highest on record since 2016. 'This positive absorption represents a dramatic shift from the negative trends that characterised the market through much of the post-pandemic period and suggests that return-to-office initiatives are gaining genuine traction among Sydney businesses,' Rader said. Melbourne CBD continues to face the most significant challenges with vacancy and saw rates drop from 18 to 17.9 per cent. The market saw a positive absorption of 1,446 square metres, which Rader noted was a 'meaningful shift' for the negative absorption recorded over the past three CBD markets recorded a combined net absorption of 63,738 square metres, which was some of the strongest performance in several years. Property Council chief executive Mike Zorbas said the group had now seen a year and a half of positive demand for office space and there were 'more businesses taking up office space than leaving behind'. Rader said the recovery appeared to be driven by several factors, including businesses implementing return-to-office policies. There's also demand for more premium CBD buildings. 'While the recovery trajectory remains gradual, the consistent positive absorption across multiple CBD markets suggests a genuine turning point,' Rader said. 'The challenge now will be maintaining this momentum through continued focus on workplace experience and flexible arrangements that meet evolving occupier needs.' The overall office vacancy rate across CBDs and suburban markets increased from 14.7 to 15.2 per cent, which is still its highest in three decades. Fears WFH plan will drive workers out of CBD It comes as the Victorian government pushes to make work from home a legal right. Under the Australian-first proposal, workers who could reasonably do their job from home would have a right to do so for at least two days a week. This would be for both the public and private sector. "Working from home saves working people and families time and money, and it makes good workers more productive," Premier Jacinta Allan said. Property Council Victorian executive director Cath Evans said the work-from-home mandate risked 'undermining confidence' in the office sector and came as it was showing 'green shoots'. 'Flexibility is and will remain core to many workplaces. But decisions about working arrangements should remain a matter between employers and their teams – not mandated by government,' she said. 'The reality is that investment to drive jobs, upgrade our office assets and keep our city vibrant will be deterred from Melbourne if this latest policy comes into effect.' Recent data from CBRE found 63 per cent of Melbourne residents attended the office in the first quarter of 2025, compared to the national average of 74.7 per cent. Sydney's office attendance was 82 per cent, while Brisbane's was 79 per cent.
