Microsoft has renewed its downtown Bellevue office lease for LinkedIn, according to a new report from global real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield.
The lease covers about 44,700 square feet at Lincoln Square North, Cushman & Wakefield said in its October report.
LinkedIn, which Microsoft acquired in 2016, is now the company’s only remaining operation in Bellevue. Microsoft has moved most of its local offices and employees to its main Redmond campus, which is currently undergoing a major $5 billion renovation and expansion.
In 2024, Microsoft chose to keep the LinkedIn office at Lincoln Square North, a tower where it was once the primary tenant. Since 2023, Microsoft has given up nearly 2.7 million square feet of office space in Bellevue as part of its consolidation efforts.
Microsoft’s shift has had ripple effects across Bellevue’s commercial real estate market. The Bravern office towers, once fully leased by Microsoft, are now facing financial challenges. The 750,000-square-foot complex was transferred to a special loan servicer in September, with filings citing an “imminent monetary default” on $304 million in mortgage debt.
The Bravern’s value has dropped sharply since Microsoft’s exit. In August, financial firm Morningstar estimated the property’s worth at $267.9 million—less than half its $605 million appraisal from early 2020.
