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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsBellevue real estate brokers saw Amazon’s planned five-day return to the office as a potential boost for office demand in late 2024—even as Microsoft was giving up substantial space downtown. Their optimism reflected a hope that more employees in offices would help landlords, retailers and nearby businesses. It was not evidence that Amazon’s policy would reverse Bellevue’s vacancy trend.
Why brokers thought Amazon’s policy could help
Amazon announced that its five-day office requirement would take effect in January 2025. In GeekWire’s December 12, 2024 report, Broderick Group vice president Colin Tanigawa called the policy “obviously, a huge shot in the arm for us” and said, “It’s the lift that we kind of need.” The hope was that Amazon’s move might encourage other employers to bring employees back more often, adding potential demand for offices and activity in downtown Bellevue.
Kidder Mathews executive vice president Jason Smith framed the hoped-for street-level effect this way: “If they get their employees back, you’re going to see a lot of backpacks on the street.” These were broker expectations, not a measured forecast of new leases or a demonstrated link between attendance and vacancy.
What the 2024 vacancy figures showed
The 2024 GeekWire account cited Broderick Group figures showing downtown Bellevue office vacancy at 16.6%, up from 3.2% in 2019. It also reported that Amazon had 12,000 Bellevue employees and planned to reach 25,000, while 40% of Amazon’s Bellevue square footage was unoccupied, citing Kidder Mathews executive vice president Jason Smith. These figures describe the reporting at that time; they should not be read as current headcounts, occupancy, or vacancy.
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The article also said Microsoft was relinquishing nearly 2 million square feet in downtown Bellevue while revamping its headquarters in Redmond. That reduction was a major local space giveback, but it did not mean Microsoft was abandoning the Eastside.
Microsoft reduced Bellevue space but retained a major Eastside presence
In January 2026, GeekWire reported that Microsoft had renewed 396,228 square feet at Redmond Town Center and was reoccupying about 480,000 square feet at Millennium Corporate Park. The same report described a 750,000-square-foot reduction at The Bravern in Bellevue. Taken together, the moves show a shift in the company’s local footprint, not a departure from the region.
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- Keep your home comfortable – Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by built-in motion or indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically turn on lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
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Microsoft’s own local attendance policy also came later than Amazon’s. GeekWire reported that Microsoft’s three-day requirement for qualifying Puget Sound employees began February 23, 2026. It covers employees within 50 miles of a Microsoft office; teams and managers determine the specific days, and some roles are exempt. The contrast is useful context, but the policies have different dates and scopes.
| Policy, as reported | Effective date | Required attendance | Who it covers and scheduling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | January 2025 | Five days each week | GeekWire reported the five-day requirement; the cited account does not specify geographic scope or scheduling exceptions. |
| Microsoft | February 23, 2026 | Three days each week | Qualifying Puget Sound employees within 50 miles of a Microsoft office; teams and managers set days, with some roles exempt. |
The Microsoft policy details and timing are from GeekWire’s February 2026 account. They do not establish how many employees changed their attendance or how much office space the policy generated.
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How Bellevue’s later market figures compare
Later vacancy reports show why geography and dates matter. GeekWire reported downtown Bellevue vacancy of 25.4% at the end of 2025, citing Broderick Group. Separately, Colliers reported Eastside-wide vacancy of 21.4% in Q2 2026, down from 22.4% in the prior quarter. The first figure is for downtown Bellevue at year end; the second covers the broader Eastside in a later quarter. They are not points in one directly comparable series.
Colliers’ Q2 2026 Eastside office report, published July 9, 2026, also recorded 411,242 square feet of net absorption and a direct average asking rent of $51.84 per square foot. Those are Eastside-wide figures, and Colliers said occupancy gains were led by Bellevue’s central business district. Asking rent is not necessarily the rent paid on a particular lease.
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- Keep your home comfortable – Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by built-in motion or indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically turn on lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
- Do more with device pairing – Fill your home with music using compatible Echo devices in different rooms, or create a home theatre system with Fire TV.
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Bellevue’s 2025 economic analysis adds an important distinction: remote and hybrid work contributed to office vacancies, but demand also varies with building quality and submarket. The city describes a “flight to quality” toward modern, adaptable offices and says return-to-work mandates may add demand. It also notes that Eastgate’s I-90 Corridor has structurally higher vacancy than the central business district.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this means for Bellevue businesses and workers
More required office days can create a reason for employers to use space and for employees to spend more time near workplaces. But office demand depends on more than attendance rules: employers may consolidate into fewer buildings, choose different submarkets, or favor newer and more adaptable space. An attendance mandate alone does not tell a tenant whether a particular building will lease up, or a nearby business whether weekday customer traffic will recover.
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For workers weighing a Bellevue job or commute, the policy news is not a reliable indicator of housing affordability or a promise of more local jobs. JPC Architects partner Char Patterson told GeekWire, “All of our clients are really approaching return-to-office a little bit differently,” and observed that Bellevue housing costs can make living near work difficult for people who are not already established or positioned in the market.
Did Amazon’s policy cause a Bellevue office recovery?
The available figures do not isolate Amazon’s policy as the cause of later leasing gains or changes in vacancy. The city identifies remote and hybrid work, building quality and submarket differences as relevant factors, while Colliers’ 2026 report captures a later Eastside-wide snapshot. Brokers’ late-2024 optimism was a plausible view of how a large employer’s attendance policy might affect demand—not proof that the policy produced a recovery.
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