Shafiq Hirani CCIMReal Estate Advisor, REMAX Distinctive · Real Estate Advisor at RE/MAX Distinctive Commercial | Washington, DC | Your Guide To Profitable Real Estate Ventures

Leasing Feels Harder? The REAL Vacancy Number #shorts

15 Aug 2026 · 0 min

Watch on YouTube

0:26

In this YouTube short, Shafiq Hirani CCIM explains that the headline vacancy figures reported by CoStar can be misleading for owners of existing rental properties. CoStar reports two vacancy rates: overall vacancy, which includes brand‑new buildings still in lease‑up, and stabilized vacancy, which excludes those new properties and reflects only established, fully‑leased assets. Because the overall vacancy number is lower when new supply is counted, owners may feel that leasing is tougher than the market data suggests. The short emphasizes that the stabilized vacancy rate is the metric that truly matters for owners and managers of existing properties.

Here is the number that actually matters for you, and it is the one that explains why your leasing feels harder than the headlines suggest. CoStar breaks vacancy into 2 categories. Overall vacancy includes properties still in lease-up, meaning brand new buildings that are filling up for the first time. Stabilized vacancy excludes those and measures only established properties, buildings like yours.