Many businesses are seeking to move into new offices at the expense of older buildings. (Con Chronis/AAP PHOTOS)Many businesses are seeking to move into new offices at the expense of older buildings. In Brisbane, almost 39,000 square metres were absorbed from the market, followed by 27,500 in Perth, signalling strong demand and limited construction. Cities Australia-wide continued to grapple refurbishing or repurposing older office buildings despite growing costs. You're seeing far stronger demand and far lower vacancy rates in premium grade buildings," Mr Kandelaars said.