LinkedIn Renews SoMa Lease, Scales Back Footprint

Ivan Smiljanic • News • June 30, 2025 • Time reading: 3 min

LinkedIn is staying in SoMa; for now.

The Microsoft-owned professional networking platform has officially renewed its lease for approximately 154,450 square feet across floors 2 through 8 at 222 Second Street, according to sources familiar with the deal.

The lease renewal, which was finalized in Q2, marks the first of four upcoming lease expirations within the building—but it also signals that LinkedIn isn’t quite ready to walk away from San Francisco’s core office market.

A Scaled-Back Footprint in a Landmark Building

Located in the heart of SoMa, 222 Second Street spans 450,000 square feet and was originally fully preleased by LinkedIn in 2014. But much has changed since then. In recent years, the company has reduced its footprint through a series of subleases—most notably:

Floors 17–20 were subleased to Silicon Valley Bank
Floors 24–25 went to Demandbase and Early Warning Services (Zelle)
Floors 21–23 are currently being marketed for sublease

The reduction aligns with broader trends among tech tenants reevaluating space needs post-2020. LinkedIn itself has gone through multiple rounds of layoffs, including a recent reduction of 60 employees at its San Francisco office as part of Microsoft’s broader workforce cuts.

More Lease Expirations Ahead

While the most recent renewal locks in LinkedIn’s presence through December 2025, three more leases at 222 Second are approaching expiration over the next 2.5 years:

148,664 SF on floors 9–15 (expiring December 2026)
70,883 SF on floors 16–20 (expiring June 2027)
76,212 SF on floors 21–26 (expiring December 2027)

Discussions between LinkedIn and landlord Tishman Speyer are expected to continue, with possibilities ranging from further subleasing to a blend-and-extend arrangement—a strategy used by other major tenants in the market to downsize space while securing longer-term deals.

Financing Pressures Add Urgency

Complicating the picture is a $291.5 million CMBS loan tied to 222 Second. Under the loan’s provisions, Tishman is required to secure lease renewals at least 17 months before any tenant’s expiration date. When that timeline was missed for the space expiring in December 2025, the loan was placed on a watchlist and entered a cash trap, giving lenders enhanced control over the building’s income stream.

Tishman has stated that the watchlist designation was due to a technical issue and confirmed that it remains current on its debt obligations. However, without additional lease commitments soon—particularly for the space expiring in December 2026—the situation could become more complex for both landlord and tenant.

What It Means for the Market

LinkedIn’s partial renewal reinforces a trend we’re seeing more broadly: tech tenants aren’t leaving San Francisco—but they are rethinking how they use space. Hybrid work, headcount shifts, and operational efficiency are driving leaner, more flexible footprints.

Still, a 154,000-square-foot renewal from one of the city’s most visible tech tenants is a positive sign for SoMa’s Class A office market—and it suggests that location, amenities, and long-term value still matter in the real estate decisions of major players.

Source: San Francisco Business Times reporting, with data via CBRE and CMBS records.

Looking for Scaled-Down or Flexible Office Options in SoMa?

At IPG, we specialize in helping companies right-size their footprint—whether that means subleasing excess space or securing turnkey, Class A suites in key markets.