--- title: "Investment banking office space in Chicago" description: "Where investment banking occupiers cluster in Chicago, what they pay, and what the typical fit-out looks like." canonical: https://classa.info/cities/chicago/industries/investment-banking pageType: city-industry lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Investment banking occupiers in Chicago typically cluster in West Loop, plan ~215 sqft per seat at trophy fit-out ($290–430/sqft), and pay around 52 USD/sqft ($52 USD) on Class A. ## TL;DR - Preferred submarket: West Loop. - Typical fit-out spec: Trophy ($290–430/sqft). - Plan ~215 sqft per seat for headcount sizing. - Class A rent context: 52 USD/sqft ($52 USD). - Typical lease: 10 years with 22 months rent-free. - Talent depth in Chicago: 88/100. # Investment banking office space in Chicago **Investment banking occupiers in Chicago typically cluster in West Loop, plan ~215 sqft per seat at trophy [fit-out](/topics/fit-out-capex)">fit-out ($290–430/sqft), and pay around 52 USD/sqft ($52 USD) on [Class A](/glossary/class-a).** ## TL;DR - Preferred submarket: West Loop. - Typical fit-out spec: Trophy ($290–430/sqft). - Plan ~215 sqft per seat for headcount sizing. - Class A rent context: 52 USD/sqft ($52 USD). - Typical lease: 10 years with 22 months rent-free. - Talent depth in Chicago: 88/100. ## Where they cluster Investment banking occupiers in Chicago typically anchor in West Loop. Professional services, fintech, trading, top law firms. ## What they pay Class A rent in Chicago runs 52 USD/sqft ($52 USD) on a 10-year lease with 22 months free. Trophy submarkets command a 20–40% premium above the city index. ## Spec and fit-out Typical investment banking fit-out targets trophy specification at $290–430/sqft. Bespoke design, signature feature, top-tier MEP and acoustic packages are standard. ## Headcount sizing Plan around 215 sqft per seat blended (workstation + circulation + amenity). A 100-headcount banking office in Chicago typically targets 21,500 sqft of leasable area. ## Talent angle Bulge-bracket teams favor signature trophy assets with full client-facing programming and large floor plates. Deep professional-services, fintech, and trading talent pool. Average all-in compensation indexes 88 vs. New York. ## Tax and lease context Headline corporate tax: 28.5%. Modified-gross with op-ex escalations over a [base year](/glossary/base-year). Rent-free 18-30 months and TI $120-$200/sqft on a 10-year term are current market. ## Key facts | city | Chicago| | industry | Investment banking| | naics | 523150, 522110| | preferredSubmarket | West Loop| | preferredFitoutSpec | Trophy| | fitoutBand | $290–430/sqft| | sqftPerSeat | 215| | classARentLocal | 52 USD/sqft/yr| | classARentUsd | $52/sqft/yr| | vacancyPct | 24.5%| | typicalLeaseYears | 10| | typicalRentFreeMonths | 22| | talentIndex | 88| | corporateTaxPct | 28.5%| ## Frequently asked questions ****Where do investment banking occupiers lease office space in Chicago?**** : Most cluster in West Loop. Rent runs ~52 USD/sqft ($52 USD) for trophy and prime stock. ****What fit-out spec do investment banking occupiers run in Chicago?**** : Typically trophy at $290–430/sqft. ****How much office space per seat should a investment banking occupier plan in Chicago?**** : Plan ~215 sqft per seat blended. A 100-person team typically takes 21,500 sqft. ****What NAICS codes describe the investment banking vertical?**** : Representative NAICS 2022 codes: 523150, 522110. ****What is the talent index in Chicago?**** : 88/100. Use the city profile for full detail. ## Related - [**Investment banking — global overview**](/industries/investment-banking) - [**Chicago — full city profile**](/cities/chicago) - [**Financial services in Chicago**](/cities/chicago/industries/financial-services) - [**Asset management in Chicago**](/cities/chicago/industries/asset-management) - [**Legal services in Chicago**](/cities/chicago/industries/legal-services) - [**Big tech in Chicago**](/cities/chicago/industries/big-tech) ## Editorial provenance Reviewed by [**Miriam Hollander**](/about/authors/miriam-hollander) — Lead market analyst. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our [methodology](/about/methodology) and [editorial standards](/about/editorial-standards). ### Primary sources for this page - [CBRE Marketview reports](https://www.cbre.com/insights) — CBRE - [JLL Office Insight](https://www.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights) — JLL - [Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat](https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights) — Cushman & Wakefield - [Savills World Research](https://www.savills.com/research_articles/) — Savills - [Colliers Global Office Outlook](https://www.colliers.com/en/research) — Colliers [Full sources index](/about/sources) · [Submit a correction](/about/corrections) ## Related topics - [**Class A Lease Negotiation**](/topics/class-a-lease-negotiation) — How to negotiate a Class A office lease — the playbook from LOI to signed deal. - [**Hybrid Workplace Strategy**](/topics/hybrid-workplace-strategy) — How to size, structure, and lease a Class A office for a hybrid workforce. - [**ESG / LEED for Tenants**](/topics/esg-leed-tenants) — How tenants evaluate, negotiate, and report on ESG performance in a Class A office lease. - [**Cross-border Expansion**](/topics/cross-border-expansion) — How to run a coordinated Class A office search across multiple geographies. - [**Fit-out Capex**](/topics/fit-out-capex) — How to budget, sequence, and govern Class A office fit-out capex. - [**Lease vs Flex**](/topics/lease-vs-flex) — When premium flex (coworking, [managed office](/glossary/managed-office)) beats a conventional Class A lease — and vice versa. --- Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/cities/chicago/industries/investment-banking), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.